Flotation and Harbour Energy are studying floating wind power in the North Sea

Flotation Energy y Harbour Energy they will study the use of floating wind turbines forsupply electricity to oil and gas facilities in the North Sea, as part of a strategy aimed at advancing the electrification of offshore operations.

Flotation Energy and Harbour are studying offshore electrification

Both companies signed a memorandum of understanding to analyze opportunities for electrifying oil and gas assets through floating wind projects.

The agreement will combine Harbour Energy’s experience as an operator in the North Sea with Flotation Energy’s expertise in developing floating wind farms and offshore electrification solutions.

The study will consider different integration scenarios, as well as the technical, regulatory, and commercial requirements necessary to put these types of solutions into practice.

The initiative also seeks to leverage the experience accumulated by the United Kingdom in two sectors with a strong industrial presence, such as offshore oil and gas and offshore wind energy.

Scott Barr, managing director of Harbour Energy’s UK business unit, noted that combining both supply chains will allow them to identify both the opportunities and challenges associated with the electrification of marine facilities.

Harbour Energy has a broad portfolio in the North Sea

Harbour Energy it operates and participates in several offshore assets around Scotland, including the Solan field, located west of the Shetland Islands.

The company also holds stakes in Clair and Schiehallion, in addition to other assets distributed between the northern and central areas of the North Sea.

This presence makes offshore electrification a relevant alternative for evaluating new ways of supplying energy to facilities that currently depend on conventional systems associated with oil and gas production.

Green Volt and Cenos together have a planned capacity of approximately 1.9 GW

Flotation Energy has two projects that could play a significant role in this model, Green Volt and Cenos, both sites were awarded in 2023 during the Scottish INTOG round, designed to promote wind projects intended, among other objectives, to supply electricity directly to offshore oil and gas facilities.

Together, Green Volt and Cenos are considering approximately 1.9 GW of installed capacity these projects are being developed by Flotation Energy together with Vårgrønn, a Plenitude joint venture belonging to Eni and HitecVision.

Green Volt will have a capacity of up to 560 MWand can incorporate up to 35 floating wind turbines the project will be located approximately 80 kilometers off the coast of Peterhead. It obtained the necessary land and marine authorizations in April 2024 and subsequently received a contract for difference from the British government in September of that same year.

Cenos envisions up to 95 floating wind turbines

Cenos will have an even larger scale, with around 1.4 GW of planned capacity and even 95 floating wind turbines the park will be located approximately 190 kilometers off the coast, near Peterhead.

Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn submitted an offshore authorization application in February 2025 to proceed with their development. The companies also acquired NorthConnect, an HVDC interconnection project. 1.400 MW designed to connect the electrical systems of Scotland and Norway.

Floating wind turbines could power oil and gas installations

The collaboration between Flotation Energy and Harbour Energy will allow for an assessment of the extent to which energy generated by floating wind farms can be integrated with existing oil and gas operations in the North Sea.

The analysis should determine what electrical infrastructure would be necessary, how offshore connections would be made, and what regulatory and economic conditions would allow these schemes to be developed on a commercial scale.

Green Volt plans to start generating electricity in 2029 while Cenos aims to begin production in 2031 the memorandum thus opens an evaluation phase aimed at determining which assets could be electrified and what role floating offshore wind can play in supplying energy to North Sea offshore platforms.

Source: Offshore Energy

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