The BlueFloat Energy-Nadara Partnership has concluded wind and metocean monitoring campaigns at its Broadshore and Bellrock floating offshore wind farm sites in Scottish waters, marking a significant step in the development of the two projects.
The two-year campaigns utilised Eolos’ FLS200 floating LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, which was deployed at the Broadshore Hub, located approximately 50 kilometres north of Fraserburgh, and the Bellrock site, situated 120 kilometres east of Aberdeen. The buoys collected high-resolution data on wind, wave, current, and atmospheric conditions, which will inform engineering and design decisions for the offshore wind farms.
“The data gathered will enable us to optimise turbine layouts, foundation designs, and mooring systems, ensuring the resilience and efficiency of our projects in the challenging North Sea environment,” said David Robertson, portfolio director at the BlueFloat Energy-Nadara Partnership.
The data collected is expected to help reduce uncertainty in energy yield forecasts and support the design phase of the 900-megawatt Broadshore and 1,800-megawatt Bellrock projects. The information will also be integrated with seabed survey results from geophysical and geotechnical studies conducted by Acteon.
Broadshore and Bellrock are part of the partnership’s broader 4.4-gigawatt Scottish offshore wind portfolio, which includes the 1.5-gigawatt Stromar project being developed in collaboration with Ørsted. Additionally, the partnership is progressing two 100-megawatt innovation projects—Sinclair and Scaraben—located near Broadshore, aimed at testing new technologies and exploring models for community ownership.
These efforts come amid broader industry goals to accelerate floating offshore wind deployment in the UK, with Scotland seen as a key region due to its deep waters and strong wind resources.
