Odfjell Oceanwind has acquired Ørsted’s 80% stake in the 100-megawatt (MW) Salamander floating offshore wind project off the coast of Scotland, the Norwegian developer said on Monday.
Following the deal, Odfjell Oceanwind will partner with existing stakeholders Simply Blue Group and Subsea7 to progress the project, which aims to serve as a demonstration for future commercial-scale floating offshore wind developments.
Located 35 km off the coast of Peterhead in northeast Scotland, Salamander was granted an exclusivity agreement under Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) leasing round and has received Section 36 consent from the Scottish Government.
“Innovation projects are essential to de-risk relevant floating offshore wind technologies and the supply chain prior to embarking on larger projects like those in ScotWind and many of the INTOG projects that are planned to be operational in the 2030s,” said Per Lund, CEO of Odfjell Oceanwind.
The project will incorporate Odfjell Oceanwind’s Deepsea Star semisubmersible steel foundation technology. The company said the acquisition aligns with its broader strategy to gradually scale up project sizes and turbine capacities before reaching utility-scale deployment.
“The Salamander project share acquisition is a key part of our ambition to make floating wind relevant and commercial,” Lund said. “It follows as a natural stepping stone from our recent announcement of the ScaleWind project… with the ambition of installing one full-scale floating offshore wind turbine in 2028.”
Lund also noted the UK’s favourable policy framework. “OOW has closely monitored the UK market for several years and see the country’s commitment to net zero and well-established framework conditions, including annual CfD rounds, as investor-friendly features,” he added.
Simply Blue Group CEO Hugh Kelly welcomed the new partnership: “This partnership brings new strength and momentum to one of the country’s most significant offshore wind developments.”
Stuart Fitzgerald, CEO of Seaway7, said: “Together with Simply Blue Group, we look forward to collaborating closely to advance floating offshore wind technologies and support the scaling up of the UK’s renewable energy capabilities.”
The Salamander project is part of Scotland’s broader strategy to position itself as a leader in floating offshore wind, contributing to the UK’s target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
