Heritage of oil and gas development can provide a springboard for floating wind’s leap into the future, writes Dan Jackson
The North Sea, home of the UK’s oil and gas industry, is witnessing a remarkable transformation into the global frontier for floating offshore wind (FOW) development.
It is not just the deep waters and high wind speeds that make Scotland a desirable location for the nascent industry, but the legacy of talent, experience and infrastructure provided by decades of offshore activity.
Capturing the benefits of this symbiotic relationship between the two industries is a vital component in making the UK a floating offshore wind superpower and delivering a just transition in the North Sea.
A crucial enabler of this transition is the UK and Scottish Governments. Ensuring this transformation benefits the UK economy requires a strategic partnership between government and industry, with both playing pivotal roles in transforming former oil and gas hubs into thriving centres for renewable energy, fostering green job creation and economic revitalisation.
Big Challenge, bigger opportunity
The UK Government has set ambitious targets for offshore wind deployment: 50GW by 2030, including 5GW from floating offshore wind.
This forms part of the broader commitment to decarbonise Britain’s electricity system by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Today, the UK has approximately 10.5GW of operational offshore wind capacity, with virtually all of this being fixed-bottom installations in shallower waters. The scale of the challenge is clearly very large.
However, FOW is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that by 2050 could employ 100,000 people and contribute £47bn ($60bn) to the UK economy. Whether the UK realises these benefits will come down to decisions made today. Without early projects to establish local supply chains, Britain will lose these economic benefits abroad. Once manufacturing hubs and facilities are built in other countries, they become entrenched, making it nearly impossible to bring those jobs and investment back to the UK.
Legacy Infrastructure: A Hidden Advantage
The North Sea’s ports, fabrication yards, vessels, and skilled workforce – developed over more than 50 years for the oil and gas industry – represent billions in investment that can be repurposed for FOW.
The synergies are numerous: marine operations, moorings, and floating structures. The skills required for maintaining floating oil platforms translate well to managing floating wind turbines, while the existing supply chain can pivot to support renewable energy projects.
Recognising this opportunity, Cerulean Winds has formed a groundbreaking alliance of supply chain companies to accelerate the development of floating offshore wind in the North Sea.
This consortium, which counts NOV, Bilfinger, Ocean Installer, Siemens Energy, Haventus (Ardersier Energy Transition Facility) among others as members, brings together decades of offshore and subsea experience with innovative approaches to scaling renewable energy infrastructure.
The alliance leverages existing port facilities, fabrication capabilities, and marine operations expertise to create a comprehensive supply chain solution. This integrated approach is crucial for addressing one of floating offshore wind’s biggest challenges: the need for coordinated infrastructure development at scale.
Supply Chain Transformation
The transformation of the supply chain involves several key elements:
- Port Infrastructure: Ports, including the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility, are being constructed to handle the assembly and deployment of floating wind platforms. Its shallow-water berth, a unique requirement to FOW, are necessary for floating wind structures.
- Fabrication Facilities: Yards that once built oil platforms are being repurposed to construct floating wind foundations, with their existing heavy-lift capabilities and skilled workforce providing a ready-made solution.
- Vessel Operations: The offshore support vessel fleet, developed for oil and gas operations, is being modified to serve floating wind installations.
- Workforce Skills: The offshore workforce’s expertise in managing floating structures and conducting maintenance at sea is being transferred to renewable energy operations.
Looking Ahead
The path to 2030 and beyond requires unprecedented scaling of floating wind deployment. The UK’s advantage lies not just in its wind resources, but in the industrial legacy of its North Sea oil and gas sector. The transformation of this infrastructure and expertise for renewable energy represents a unique opportunity to accelerate the energy transition while maintaining the UK’s leadership in offshore energy.
As floating wind projects move from demonstration to commercial scale, the alliance formed by Cerulean Winds provides a model for how industry collaboration can enable rapid scaling of renewable energy infrastructure. The North Sea, which powered Britain’s industrial economy through oil and gas, is now poised to play a crucial role in its sustainable future.
The success of this transition will depend on continued coordination between industry players, government support through clear policy frameworks, and sustained investment in infrastructure and skills development.
With these elements in place, the UK’s floating offshore wind sector can build on the legacy of North Sea oil and gas to create a new chapter in British energy history. A new chapter worth £47 billion, it’s no small feat.