BayWa r.e., alongside partners Elicio and BW Ideol as part of the Floating Energy Allyance, has secured the rights to develop a 960 MW floating wind farm in the NE8 area off the northeast coast of Scotland through Crown Estate Scotland’s recent ScotWind leasing round. Having established itself as a key player in the solar and onshore wind sectors, this result bolsters BayWa r.e.’s position within the offshore industry, and marks an important step forward in floating wind development.
ScotWind is the first Scottish offshore wind leasing round in over a decade and the first ever since the management of offshore wind rights were devolved to Scotland. The Floating Energy Allyance is one of 17 projects to have been selected out of a total of 74 applications.
Gordon MacDougall, Managing Director of BayWa r.e. UK commented: “We are delighted to have been awarded the development rights for NE8 by the Crown Estate Scotland in what was a highly competitive tender process. The level of competition demonstrates the quality of our submission and the confidence that has been placed in BayWa r.e. and our partners. We now look forward to delivering this exciting project together with our partners. It will help to meet Scotland’s net zero target and put the country at the forefront of the global growth of floating wind. While supporting up to 3,900 jobs at the peak of manufacturing and construction.”
The successful award is another milestone in BayWa r.e.’s strategy to become established in the offshore and floating offshore wind market. It follows the signing of an MOU with Ulsan City, South Korea in November 2021, for the development of floating offshore wind projects off the coast of the city. Furthermore, in September 2021, BayWa r.e. pre-qualified for participation in the largest call for tenders for floating wind on an industrial scale in Europe to date, held in Brittany, France.
Building on its global network of development offices and local expertise, the company is pursuing further offshore opportunities in additional markets, with the ambition to expand its portfolio over the coming year.
Felipe Cornago, Commercial Director Offshore Wind at BayWa r.e. adds: “With a well-established and highly successful onshore wind business, BayWa r.e. set out to replicate this in the offshore market. Through the implementation of a clear strategy and by building on our trust, reputation and expertise in the renewable energy market, we have been able to meet this ambition. A vital element of this strategy has been working with partners to respond directly to the needs, goals and opportunities of local markets and stakeholders. We will continue this approach as we build our offshore portfolio, focusing on emerging and established markets and newer technologies like floating wind, as well as balancing greenfield and tenders to mitigate risks. We look forward to communicating on progress made in the coming year.”
Copyright: BW Ideol
