UK floating wind developer Cerulean Winds has selected Haventus-owned Ardersier as the deployment port for a trio of Scottish wind projects.
Cerulean Winds secured the three 1 GW leases as part of the Scottish government’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) round in 2023.
Once built, the Aspen, Beech and Cedar projects will include more than 300 wind turbines, with Cerulean expecting to make a final investment decision in 2026.
Cerulean said Aspen, its first project, will help foster Scotland’s supply chain and direct more than £1 billion of investment into manufacturing and support services, with Ardersier acting as a strategic hub.
© Supplied by Cerulean WindsThe port facility, located near Inverness, is undergoing a £400 million redevelopment focused on repositioning the former oil and gas fabrication yard or the offshore wind sector.
Cerulean said its selection of the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility marks a “major step” toward creating a “world-leading floating offshore wind” industrial base.
By 2050, the floating wind sector could contribute an estimated £47 billion to the UK economy and employ 100,000 people according to industry body Renewable UK.
Ardersier deal an ‘important moment’
Cerulean Winds founding director Dan Jackson said the agreement with Ardersier is an “important moment” for the future of the UK floating wind sector.
“The UK and Scottish governments have been very supportive, however more is needed,” Jackson said.
© Supplied by Cerulean Winds“We must act now to capture the domestic economic benefits.
“If too slow, the building and maintenance of this new technology will become entrenched in established international supply chains before the bow wave of Scotwind projects even begin, with supply chains rapidly consolidating around early-mover regions in the North Sea and Asia.”
Cerulean is targeting first power at Aspen between 2028 and 2029, with Ardersier set to become operational by later this year.
Floating wind manufacturing
Haventus chief executive Lewis Gillies said Ardersier will be capable of supporting the deployment of multiple gigawatt-scale offshore wind projects.
Gillies said the Cerulean agreement is “strengthening our intent to increase green jobs in Scotland, achieve economic growth and support oil and gas operators in the North Sea to rapidly decarbonise their operations”.
The company is aiming to become the UK’s first floating wind manufacturing hub, Gillies said, creating hundreds of jobs and establishing a “vital industrial base” in the process.
“From here, developers will produce and service floating foundations, anchoring this critical supply chain in Britain,” he said.
The port announcement comes shortly after Cerulean Winds announced the completion of surveying work across its three INTOG sites.
Cerulean also recently announced oil and gas operations and maintenance provider Bilfinger as the latest member of its North Sea Renewables Grid alliance.
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