SCOTLAND - Crown Estate Scotland has selected 13 out of a total of 19 applications with a combined capacity of around 5.5 GW in the world’s first leasing round designed to enable offshore wind energy to directly supply offshore oil and gas platforms.
According to the company, Crown Estate Scotland has selected 13 out of a total of 19 applications with a combined capacity of around 5.5 GW in the world’s first leasing round designed to enable offshore wind energy to directly supply offshore oil and gas platforms. INTOG (Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas) leasing aims to attract investment in innovative offshore wind projects in Scottish waters and help decarbonize North Sea operations, Crown Estate Scotland said.
OfshoreWIND.biz announced that the INTOG process allowed developers to apply for seabed rights to develop offshore wind projects that either reduce emissions from the North Sea oil and gas sector – by supplying renewable electricity directly to oil and gas infrastructure (TOG) – or consist of small-scale (IN) innovative projects of 100 MW or less. This distinctive offshore wind leasing is different from any previously carried out in the UK or the world. INTOG, which has been designed in response to demand from government and industry to help achieve the targets of the North Sea Transition Sector Deal through decarbonizing North Sea oil and gas operations, is also expected to further stimulate innovation in Scotland’s offshore wind sector, create additional supply chain opportunity, assist companies to enter the renewable energy market and support net-zero ambitions.
Today’s results for this very distinctive and targeted leasing round are extremely encouraging. INTOG provides a range of practical ways to support innovation, reduce North Sea carbon emissions, and encourage technical and commercial innovation in the offshore renewables market,” Colin Palmer, Director of Marine at Crown Estate Scotland, said.
”In addition to delivering economic and environmental benefits, INTOG should generate funds for the Scottish Government, from initial fees when option agreements are signed, to ongoing rent payments when the projects are constructed and move to operation. Significant challenges still need to be addressed to ensure INTOG’s many opportunities are realized fully, but today marks a real step forward.”
”This milestone in the INTOG leasing round is the next step in realizing another world-leading opportunity for Scotland’s energy transition: helping both decarbonize our existing oil and gas operations while helping our offshore wind sector to expand, innovate and deliver on our ambition to be a renewables powerhouse,” Michael Matheson, Scotland’s Net Zero & Energy Secretary, said.
Source: OffshoreWind.biz