Foundations are a critical and costly component for all offshore wind farms, but challenges must be overcome as assets move into deeper waters amid a mass expansion of projects in Scotland. Projects in the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds are projected to add approximately 40GW of generation capacity, with more than half of these floating wind projects. Such an expansion places considerable demand on the supply chain for a relatively new technology still being refined. This webinar will identify the key barriers and the strategy to overcome them to support investment and manufacture in Scotland.
Fixed-bottom foundations are understood and currently a cheaper solution for wind farms with an established supply chain and market, but there are limitations on where they can be installed. Floating wind farms offer far greater options for installations in deeper waters with stronger winds and could prove more cost-effective in the longer term. However, with more than 100 floating foundation designs, it is vital to narrow this down and to build a supply chain that can deliver advance manufacturing and serial production to reduce cost and realise the full potential of floating offshore wind.
Experts from Scotland will discuss the opportunities for floating foundations in terms of the technologies and materials.
Learning Objectives of this webinar:
- The scale of the market opportunity in Scotland
- The required conditions for viable foundation designs to move to commercial production
- The role of innovation and advanced manufacturing in cost reduction.
- Offshore wind market analysis from GlobalData