© Supplied by Flotation Energy The developers of the 1.4 GW Cenos floating wind farm in Scotland have acquired the NorthConnect interconnector project.
Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn are jointly developing Cenos alongside the Green Volt floating windfarm.
Both floating developments form part of Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing round.
In a statement announcing the deal, Vårgrønn said the acquisition of NorthConnect marks a “key milestone” in the development of Cenos.
Located 190km off the coast of Peterhead, the plans for Cenos include up to 95 turbines.
Once complete, it will become one of the largest floating wind developments in the world and provide a decarbonisation pathway for offshore oil and gas installations.
Vårgrønn said NorthConnect already holds consents for an offshore and onshore cable route, “paving the way for a streamlined connection into the UK grid”.
The 1.4 GW NorthConnect interconnector cable will be approximately 665km in length, travelling from Simadalen in Norway to Longhaven in Aberdeenshire.
© Supplied by NorthConnect ASCenos project director Christopher Pearson said: “This was a natural and strategic progression of our long-standing partnership with NorthConnect – one that delivers clear value to all stakeholders.”
Following the acquisition, Vårgrønn said NorthConnect will continue to operate as a distinct entity “actively exploring new opportunities to support the energy transition”.
Vårgrønn did not disclose the value of the NorthConnect acquisition.
Green Volt and Cenos
Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn submitted the offshore consent application for Cenos in February, which came after the two firms secured consent for the 560 MW Green Volt project last year.
Green Volt is set to become Europe’s first commercial-scale floating wind farm, and will trigger up to £3 billion in investment in the north east of Scotland.
The project aims to decarbonise offshore oil and gas platforms, including potentially CNOOC’s huge Buzzard oilfield, replacing diesel and gas-generated power with clean electricity.
