A new study has been launched to examine the potential economic benefits of developing more floating wind farm projects in Scotland.

The research, which will be carried out by Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult on behalf of Crown Estate Scotland (CES), follows the installation of the world's first floating wind farm, Hywind Scotland, off the north-east of Scotland in October last year.

Despite currently being at an early stage of development, CES said the floating wind industry has "significant global potential" as it enables access to a higher wind resource in deep waters compared to fixed wind, which can often be too expensive to build in deeper waters where wind conditions are often better.

With Scottish waters also being deeper closer to shore, CES said this provides the opportunity for expanding the offshore wind industry and taking a global lead in innovating with new technologies.


The £50,000 study will be overseen by a UK-wide group including Crown Estate Scotland, The Crown Estate, RenewableUK, Scottish Renewables and the Offshore Wind Industry Council. It will examine in detail at different scenarios based on different scales of development and potential UK content, how government policy may impact it and the different economic outcomes of the scenarios.

Overall, the research is expected to be finalised and published in summer 2018.

Sian Wilson, Senior Development Manager at CES, said: "We want to find out the scale of the economic benefits – jobs, supply chain and exports – from growing the Scottish floating wind industry. The results of this study will help UK government and others take policy decisions on how to support development.

"As the low carbon economy grows and the world needs more clean, green energy, there is potentially a great opportunity for Scotland and the wider UK in ensuring we make the most of our competitive advantage."

Head of Insights Gavin Smart, who is leading the study for ORE Catapult, said: "Innovations in turbine foundations and the development of floating wind technologies are key to opening up enormous new wind resources in expanses of water too deep for conventional, bottom-fixed farms.

"This, in turn, creates huge economic opportunities for Scottish companies to capitalise on this emerging market, both here in Scotland and through the export of skills and technologies globally."

(LM)