OWC to support Erebus floating wind farm
Offshore Wind Consultants Ltd (“OWC”), a wholly owned subsidiary of AqualisBraemar ASA, has entered into a contract to provide engineering services for Simply Blue Energy and Total’s Erebus floating wind project located in the Celtic Sea offshore Wales, UK.
The contract is for a term of approximately three years, and the scope of work includes owners engineering and project development support, as well as holding the CDM role of Principal Designer. OWC will manage the project out of its headquarters in London, UK, but utilise its resources across the globe.
“As a group we have extensive experience from floating offshore developments as well as offshore wind developments. We will combine this competence to deliver the important engineering role for this exciting and ground-breaking project,” says Katherine Phillips, director and UK country manager at OWC.
Simply Blue Energy has established a partnership with Total to develop the pioneering floating wind project Erebus, for which an application has already been submitted to the Crown Estate. The project will have a 96 megawatts capacity and will be installed in an area with water depth of 70 meters. The parties are planning to develop the project using Principle Power’s WindFloat technology.
Whilst offshore wind has so far mainly developed in shallow water depths based on fixed bottom technology, floating wind offshore is set for strong growth in the years to come. This emerging technology has wide potential, opening access to sites further offshore, which have less impact on the landscape, and benefit from very high wind resources. OWC (a consultancy uniquely focused on offshore wind) and parent company AqualisBraemar (a globally renowned offshore, marine and energy consultancy) are perfectly paired to support the emerging floating wind industry
AqualisBraemar ASA announced this contract, but without disclosing the client and project name, to the Oslo stock exchange on 5 March 2020.
Endre Aaberg Johansen, Corporate Communications AS, tel: +47 41 61 06 05, email: endre.johansen@corpcom.no.
Notes to editors
1. AqualisBraemar ASA (OSE: Aqua) offers independent consultancy services to the offshore energy (oil & gas and renewables), shipping and insurance industries. The group employs specialist engineers, naval architects, master mariners, loss adjusters and technical consultants in 33 countries worldwide. AqualisBraemar ASA operates under three brands:
- AqualisBraemar: a leading adjusting, marine and offshore consultancy to the energy, shipping and insurance industries.
- AqualisBraemar Yacht Services: a specialised marine consultant to the superyacht market.
- Offshore Wind Consultants: an independent engineering and project management consultancy to the offshore renewables sector
2. Simply Blue Energy was founded in 2011. The company develops energy and aquaculture projects around the coasts of the UK and Ireland. This is through capturing energy from floating wind or wave energy projects, or by developing sustainable salmon farms. It secures the best project opportunities in the UK and Irish waters and then brings together the right partners to make it happen. Simply Blue Energy employs 12 people and has offices in Cornwall, Pembroke, Edinburgh and County Cork. (www.simplyblueenergy.com).
3. About Total – Total is a major energy player that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and low-carbon electricity. Total’s 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, more affordable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, Total’s ambition is to become the responsible energy major.
4. About Total in the United Kingdom – Total is present across the energy value chain in the UK. It has been present in the country for over 60 years and employs over 2,300 people.
5. WindFloat® is a floating foundation for offshore wind turbines with a simple, economic and patented design. WindFloat® technology allows projects to be optimally sited in deeper water, accessing higher quality wind resources while addressing stakeholder and environmental concerns associated with near-shore developments. Furthermore, WindFloat® relies on standard, proven, and minimally-invasive offshore mooring methodologies which mitigate environmental and ecological impact to the seabed. The WindFloat® reduces environmental risk and cost because of its relatively simple assembly and installation requirements, where all heavy lifting operations happen in a protected environment on dry land (at the port) using onshore cranes and common maritime transportation methods, such as tugboats, instead of expensive offshore installation vessels. The WindFloat® can also support the largest commercially available wind turbines in the world, which helps to increase power generation and drive significant reductions in lifecycle costs.
6. Principle Power acts as a trusted partner to developers, independent power producers, utilities and EPCs, supporting its customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their projects. With 100 MW under construction and advanced development in Portugal, Scotland, and France, and a multi-GW commercial pipeline globally, Principle Power is the market leader in floating offshore wind technology.