Denmark’s Ørsted has teamed up with onshore wind community engagement pioneer Falck Renewables and floating wind expert BlueFloat Energy, to participate in the upcoming ScotWind leasing round.

The consortium is set to apply for seabed leases in sites that lend themselves to the deployment of large-scale floating wind technology.

“We recently announced our strategic decision to pursue floating wind opportunities and to drive the commercialisation of this technology. Today’s announcement reaffirms Ørsted’s commitment to this exciting and rapidly developing new technology,” said Martin Neubert, chief commercial officer at Ørsted.

BlueFloat Energy’s CEO, Carlos Martin, stated: “Announcing our partnership with Ørsted strengthens BlueFloat Energy’s position in the floating wind market since it endorses our value proposition as a technology-neutral expert with a decade of unique experience and knowledge in developing floating wind projects.”

Richard Dibley, managing director of Falck Renewables UK, commented: “Falck Renewables is committed to taking an active role in the development of floating offshore wind projects, as we are convinced the technology will play a crucial role in helping to reach Scotland’s net-zero goals.”

Unlike more traditional bottom-fixed offshore wind technology, where the turbine is mounted on top of a structure fixed to the seabed, floating wind projects use a floating foundation anchored to the seabed by mooring lines, allowing projects to be sited in deeper waters further away from the coast.

Scottish government plans to deliver up to 11 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.