TotalEnergies recently announced the launch of a pioneering pilot project that involves installing a 3 MW floating wind turbine to supply renewable power to the Culzean offshore platform in the UK North Sea. This initiative marks a significant step in TotalEnergies’ efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its offshore operations and integrate renewable energy sources into its existing infrastructure.
The floating wind turbine, located 2 km west of the Culzean platform and 220 km off the eastern coast of Scotland, is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025. Once operational, the turbine will supply around 20% of the Culzean platform’s power requirements, directly reducing the platform’s greenhouse gas emissions. The turbine will be installed on a modular, lightweight, semi-submersible floater hull designed by Ocergy. This design enables fast assembly and optimized costs, further advancing the feasibility of floating wind technology.
Marie-Noelle Semeria, Chief Technology Officer at TotalEnergies, emphasized the dual objectives of this project: proving the concept of hybridizing power generation on an offshore facility by integrating renewable electricity from a floating wind turbine with existing gas turbine power generation and qualifying a promising floater design for the future of floating offshore wind.
This pilot project was selected in Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) leasing round, a program designed to encourage and support the use of offshore wind energy to supply offshore oil and gas platforms directly. INTOG reflects Scotland’s broader strategy to lead in offshore wind energy, leveraging its strong offshore winds and extensive coastline to advance renewable energy development.
The country currently has over 10 GW of offshore wind capacity in various stages of development, with plans to add 30 GW through the ScotWind leasing round. This includes fixed-bottom and floating wind farms, with Scotland home to the world’s largest ones, such as Hywind Scotland and the Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm.
The economic impact of offshore wind in Scotland is also noteworthy, providing high-quality jobs and significant supply chain opportunities. The development of offshore wind farms supports Scotland’s transition to a net-zero economy, with offshore wind energy playing a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change.
