Cerulean Winds’ 1GW Aspen floating wind initiative in the central North Sea is estimated to generate more than 1,000 jobs.
The company anticipates that the project will also attract total investment of £10.9bn over its 50-year duration.
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The Aspen initiative is being developed in partnership with several firms companies that have expertise in large-scale offshore ventures.
The consortium comprises NOV, Siemens Energy, Bilfinger, Ocean Installer and Haventus, all of whom are dedicated to substantial domestic expenditure.
According to a project charter, the consortium expects to create more than 1,000 jobs in the UK.
It has committed £1bn in domestic spending and aims to unlock nearly £1bn in additional foreign investment to support the project.
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By GlobalDataThe Ardersier Energy Transition Facility will serve as the strategic centre for the Aspen initiative.
This facility will be the UK’s first dedicated assembly, delivery and operations hub for floating offshore wind (FLOW), enhancing the project’s logistical framework.
By establishing this essential component of the supply chain in Scotland, the Aspen initiative aims to foster a fully integrated industrial ecosystem.
This strategy is designed to ensure that long-term economic advantages are retained within the UK.
The overall investment of £10.9bn includes £5.9bn earmarked for development and construction.
Additionally, the project is expected to incur £100m annually during its 50 years of operation, contributing significantly to the UK economy.
The Aspen site will be developed first, contributing to the UK Government’s target of achieving 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.
Cerulean Winds founding director Dan Jackson said: “This project has the potential to support thousands of skilled jobs and billions in investment to the UK. From a base in Scotland, Cerulean Winds and our delivery partners want to grasp the opportunity of creating a floating offshore wind supply chain industrial base in the UK.
“Having our delivery partners already in place, working together to a shared goal means that we are able to accurately predict the benefits that Aspen can deliver.”
This expenditure is projected to generate £4.1bn in gross value added (GVA) for the UK, with £2.8bn of that amount benefitting Scotland directly.
Once completed, the three Cerulean Winds projects – Aspen, Beech and Cedar – could feature up to 300 turbines.
The Aspen site will be developed first, contributing to the UK Government’s target of achieving 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “The clean energy transition is well under way in Scotland – thanks to state-of-the-art offshore wind projects, like this one at the Port of Ardersier, that will help us deliver on our Plan for Change and clean power by 2030 mission.”
