TGS Conducts Geophysical Survey for Green Volt Floating Offshore Wind Project in Scotland

TGS is currently conducting a geophysical survey at the site of the Green Volt floating offshore wind project in Scotland. This project is one of the Scottish INTOG round winners and is planned to provide electricity to oil and gas platforms.

The seismic vessel Ramform Vanguard has been mobilized from Aberdeen and is set to carry out the survey work at the offshore site throughout June.

The survey includes an ultra-high resolution 3D (UHR3D) seismic survey, utilizing integrated Multibeam Echo Sounder, Side Scan Sonar, Sub-bottom Profiler, and Magnetometer sensors to provide detailed subsurface data for the floating wind farm’s site characterization.

UHR3D data will offer a comprehensive understanding of subsurface conditions, identifying potential risks and challenges not always captured through traditional 2D data interpolation. This enhanced data collection will help the Green Volt project team in identifying geological hazards and structural complexities, contributing to improved site assessment and risk mitigation strategies.

“This represents a key milestone for TGS to utilize our expertise, technology, and resources to support the development of the first commercial floating offshore wind farm, Green Volt. UHR3D will be a key aspect to developing floating wind farms,” said Will Ashby, TGS EVP New Energy Solutions.

The 560 MW Green Volt floating wind project, developed by a consortium of Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn, was selected as one of the 13 offshore wind projects by Crown Estate Scotland in 2023, making it the first leasing round designed to enable offshore wind energy to supply offshore oil and gas platforms directly.

The consortium also signed an exclusivity agreement for the Green Volt project, as well as its Cenos floating offshore wind project in the same year. Green Volt is on track to be the first commercial-scale floating offshore wind farm in Europe.

Last year, Green Volt secured both onshore and offshore planning consents, as well as a Contract for Difference (CfD) in the UK’s Allocation Round 6 (AR6), being the only floating wind project awarded the contract in the round.

Green Volt is planned to have up to 35 floating wind turbines, totaling up to 560 MW in installed capacity. The project is expected to deliver renewable electricity to oil and gas platforms, replacing existing natural gas and diesel power generation, as well as providing electricity to the UK grid.