The Salamander floating offshore wind project has announced the second phase of its call for supplier innovations.
The project, a 100MW floating offshore wind farm set to be located 35km off the coast of Scotland, is being developed by a joint venture between green energy developers Ørsted and Simply Blue Group, and offshore development firm Subsea7.
Suppliers are now invited to submit ‘unique and novel’ solutions to the specific challenges floating offshore wind projects face, which will undergo technical evaluation before being considered for use in the development, allowing suppliers to demonstrate the benefits of their technologies compared to currently available solutions.
The project’s developers have highlighted five key areas of interest for new technologies, for which they particularly welcome submissions. These include solutions targeting construction and operational health and safety, wind turbine foundation integration, novel anchor technology, low carbon materials and processes, and construction vessel optimisation. The call for innovation will formally open on 3 December and will run until 14 January 2025.
The Salamander project was awarded a 100MW innovation seabed lease by Crown Estate Scotland as part of the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round, which supports offshore renewable energy projects either seeking to demonstrate innovative new technologies – including the Salamander project – or projects aiming to reduce carbon emissions from offshore oil and gas projects by supplying them with renewable energy. According to the developers, this project has been specifically designed to allow the Scottish supply chain for floating offshore wind developments to grow and expand in order to support future larger-scale floating wind developments. Construction is set to begin in 2027 with a target 2029 operation commencement date.
Tom Brown, innovation manager for the Salamander project, said: “Not only is it an exciting time to be involved in the floating wind sector, it is an exciting time to be part of the supply chain. It’s been a long time coming for these opportunities to be presented to smaller, local organisations, and we’re pleased to be part of that while making the project the best it can be.”
Hugh Yendole, project director, added: “We often discuss the role of our stepping-stone project as being a way to prime the supply chain for the floating roll-out in Scotland and beyond. This entails onboarding the supply chain in a timely manner, giving local organisations the opportunity to be part of this journey and capitalise on the potential economic benefits through their innovations.
