Scottish Ministers have granted offshore development consent for the 100-megawatt (MW) Salamander floating wind project, led by Ørsted, Simply Blue Group and Subsea7, marking a key step forward for one of the country’s early-stage floating wind initiatives.
The approval includes Section 36 consent and associated marine licences for the project, which is part of the Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) leasing round and is located approximately 35 kilometres off the coast of Peterhead in northeast Scotland.
“Coming hot on the heels of the onshore consent, this is yet another major achievement by the project team,” said Hugh Yendole, project director at Salamander. “We’d also like to give credit to the Scottish government, Marine Directorate licensing and operations team and NatureScot, who delivered on their commitment to resource up and enable shorter consenting periods for high quality applications.”
The joint venture described Salamander as a stepping-stone project designed to help unlock the Scottish supply chain in advance of the larger-scale developments expected under the ScotWind leasing round.
“By delivering an innovative floating offshore wind farm ahead of the ScotWind projects, Salamander provides invaluable insights into the technical, regulatory, and commercial challenges associated with floating wind deployment in Scottish waters,” the developers said.
The next phase of the project will involve working with Crown Estate Scotland to secure an option agreement, followed by preparations to enter a future Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction.
Salamander is intended to help reduce risk and provide early learning opportunities for Scotland’s broader floating wind ambitions as the country expands its offshore renewable energy portfolio.
