Aker Solutions awards ABB contract for major UK floating offshore wind project
Published: 18 December, 2024
Aker Solutions has announced it has awarded ABB a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for the 560 MW Green Volt floating offshore wind project in the UK, led by Vårgrønn and Flotation Energy. Green Volt, located 80km off the coast of Peterhead in Northeast Scotland, aims to become the first commercial-scale floating wind farm in Europe and will contribute to the decarbonisation of the UK energy system.
When fully operational in 2029, the project is expected to supply 1.5 TWh of renewable power to the grid annually[1]- enough to supply approximately 555,000 homes a year[2] - contributing to both the UK Government’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050[3] and Scotland’s target for net zero by 2045.
As part of FEED Phase 1, ABB will work alongside Aker Solutions on the complete electrical study for the facility, including system design and high voltage equipment. ABB will lead the electrical infrastructure development, including integrated automation and telecommunications systems for the offshore platform and onshore substation. ABB will also manage the integration of renewable energy into the grid, deploying advanced power and energy management systems to optimize operations.
“Our partnership with Vårgrønn, Flotation Energy and ABB underscores our dedication to contribute to Europe’s vision for accelerating the deployment of offshore wind,” said Henrik Inadomi, Executive Vice President for New Energies at Aker Solutions.
“This collaboration will also make a significant contribution to our shared commitment to building profitable value chains for the European offshore wind industry.”
ABB is actively involved in seven offshore wind projects across the UK, which collectively represent 9 GW of capacity. These include Dogger Bank, currently the world’s largest offshore wind farm. By leveraging its advanced automation, electrification and digital solutions, ABB helps offshore wind projects minimize operational costs, optimize energy production and ensure the safe, reliable integration of renewable power into the grid.
“We are proud to partner with Aker Solutions on the Green Volt project and deploy our technologies to help accelerate progress towards the UK’s 60 GW[4] offshore wind capacity target,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB Energy Industries. “Wind power currently accounts for almost 30 percent[5] of the UK’s total electricity generation, with a record daily amount of 21.8 GW[6] generated last year, and projects like Green Volt are important to sustaining this momentum.”
Developed under Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round, the project will also bolster the Scottish and UK supply chains for floating offshore wind technology.
[1] https://greenvoltoffshorewind.com/project-overview/
[2] Average gas and electricity usage | Ofgem
[3] https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9888/CBP-9888.pdf
[4] https://windeurope.org/newsroom/news/new-uk-government-plans-big-push-on-wind/
[5] https://www.iea.org/countries/united-kingdom/electricity
[6] https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/how-much-uks-energy-renewable
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image credit - Flotation Energy & Vårgrønn
