Sarens will conduct an important study on floating wind structures at its new Sarens PSG Offshore Wind Excellence Centre in the Aberdeen Energy Transition Zone, Scotland, UK. The goal is to enable the fast and cost-effective deployment of floating wind turbines in the North Sea at an industrial scale.

The study will focus on the development of methods to deploy complete floating wind structures directly from construction or production facilities to operational sites. The aim is to achieve this for volumes at production line scale, spanning several years of operation.

According to Sarens, the study will identify the main implications in terms of costs, risks, and scheduling, and evaluate the impact of these factors on port infrastructure within the context of ambitious projects by the Partnership.

Specialists in assembly, transport, and launch of offshore wind energy have been hired by the leading renewable energy partners, BlueFloat Energy | Nadara Partnership, to pioneer innovative solutions for transporting floating foundations from land to sea.

Key challenges under examination include ensuring safe, fast, and low-risk processes while minimizing costs and evaluating the most effective and appropriate use of high-specification port infrastructure, which is critical for the successful industrial-scale deployment of floating offshore wind technology.

Steve Clark, Managing Director of Sarens PSG, stated that “Sarens PSG is excited to continue our collaboration with BlueFloat Energy | Nadara Partnership on this innovative study, conducted from our newly established Offshore Wind Excellence Centre in the Aberdeen Energy Transition Zone.”

“While implementation techniques have been tested in smaller demonstration projects, scaling these processes to achieve significant deployments with next-generation solutions at a rapid pace and cost-effectively will be transformative for the industry. This investment in innovative research underscores the partnership's commitment to advancing successful floating offshore wind projects that are essential for global energy transition efforts and achieving net-zero emissions targets. It has the potential to be a game-changer for the sector,” added Clark.

David Robertson, Floating Offshore Wind Project Portfolio Director for the UK at BlueFloat Energy and Nadara Partnership, stated that “these studies represent a significant advancement in the development of our floating offshore wind project portfolio in Scotland and will not only deepen our understanding of some of the most pertinent technical challenges facing our industry but will also leverage local expertise through the regional supply chain.”