Plans afoot for giant floating wind test rig facility in Aberdeen

Plans are afoot to develop “one of the world’s largest test rigs” for floating offshore wind as part of a new facility in Aberdeen.

The proposals would build on the new £9m Floating Offshore Wind Innovation Centre (FLOWIC) from ORE Catapult, which opened doors officially on Monday afternoon in the city’s Energy Transition Zone (ETZ).

It’s understood the new test rig site is mooted for vacant land adjacent to the FLOWIC facility, which is based at the W-Zero-1 building in Tullos, to bolster the region’s floating wind offering.

Maggie McGinlay, CEO of the ETZ, said: “It’s about targeting particularly moorings and anchors and the technology that’s needed to get the cost of floating wind down and to enable it to be scaled up to be cost-competitive in the future.”

She added: “This is just the beginning. We’ve got the FLOWIC up and running as it is now but we’re already seeing such great demand from industry that we’re already planning and looking to extend to create one of the world’s largest test rigs for floating wind as well.

“So this is just the start and we’ve got plans about how we extend it and extend it quickly, because we all want to see this market moving quickly and ensure everything is in place to help companies do the test and validation that’s needed.”

Would the Scottish Government back it?

© Supplied by Darrell Benns / DCT

Like FLOWIC, in order to make it happen organisers say more funding is needed – and they’re eyeing the Scottish Government.

Ms McGinlay said a “small portion” of the £500m Just Transition Fund could be used to get it going.

“It’s a confidence signal from government that this is the right thing to invest in, and then that gets noticed from other investors as well.”

Asked about the project, First Minister Humza Yousaf said he would not discuss live applications – but did not rule out support.

“Generally the Scottish Government is very supportive of projects that unleash our renewable potential,” he said during the opening of the FLOWIC facility.

Speaking about the opportunity of floating wind, he said there’s an added incentive to support European neighbours who are “desperate to wean themselves off foreign imports of gas” via Scotland’s renewable energy.

© Supplied by Darrell Benns / DCT

Asked about the mooted test rig site from ETZ, ORE Catapult CEO Andrew Jamieson said he could see it being built.

“One of the true Scottish USPs that we have is you’ve got local businesses with that kind of expertise, that kind of knowledge.

“And of course you’ve then got your university and academic excellence that sits around that to do computer modelling and simulations.

“So you pile all that together I think Scotland has a fantastic opportunity in those areas.”