Business
Projects
Our 882 MW Moray West project generates first power!
What an accomplishment! First power has been successfully generated from the first series of wind turbines in our Moray West project and exported to the National Electricity Transmission System (NETS)!
After achieving this key milestone, OW and Moray West dedicated teams are continuing their work on the last stages of this construction phase, with the rest of the turbine components currently being pre-assembled at the Port of Nigg, prior to offshore installation.
At the onshore substation, construction work is being finalised on the 2nd circuit, following commissioning of the first. The export cables are in place, buried within the pre-defined cable corridor, completing the electrical connection between the wind turbines and the NETS at Blackhillock substation.
Pete Geddes, our Project Director for Moray West, said: “I am so proud of the Moray West project team and our supply chain partners, who have worked tirelessly, professionally, and safely to ensure we are able to celebrate reaching the First Power milestone on Moray West. I am delighted that we have been able to maintain the project timeline, and I’m looking forward to a timely handover to the new Operations team in the first months of 2025. To meet UK government targets for offshore wind deployment, it is vital that policy is stable and supportive, to nurture investor confidence, and thereby avoid the risk of market and regulatory shock.”
Did you know? Moray West is expected to inject over £800 million in the local Scottish economy throughout its lifespan. And during its construction phase it will have generated more than 1,500 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) years in Scotland, with 70 long-term operational roles based in Buckie.
We are very proud of the successful journey of our project, highlighting the hard work and determination of our teams who have exemplified OW talent and commitment!
Welcome to our new CEO, Craig Windram, in his first month!
Officially starting his journey as our new CEO on the 1st of July, Craig Windram has already been visiting various OW offices in Europe and the US to meet our different teams and roles within the company!
As shared in his introduction, these first months Craig will be meeting the OW teams first hand, to get to know the different local operations and contexts of our international portfolio and presence.
After visiting the US, Poland, France and the UK, where he had the opportunity to visit the Port of Nigg and see up close all the activity for our Moray West project, he will continue his visits in the upcoming months. At this pace, he will have met all of you and visited all of our offices before the end of the summer!
Let’s give him a warm welcome to the OW team and make the most of these in-person opportunities!
Continuing our commitment to unlocking floating offshore wind opportunities in Portugal!
OW and Martifer Renewables & Energy have formed a strategic partnership to participate in Portugal’s upcoming tender for offshore wind farms, marking a significant step towards advancing the country’s renewable energy goals.
This partnership brings together our key international and national experience, taking into account that we are the owners and operators of the only floating offshore wind farm in the country, our pioneer WindFloat Atlantic project, and the industrial know-how and leadership of Martifer Renewables & Energy, part of the Martifer Group.
Together, we aim to develop cutting-edge floating offshore wind farms that align with Portugal’s targets of achieving 2 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, while promoting economic growth, job creation, and the introduction of innovative technologies to the offshore wind sector.
José Pinheiro, our Country Manager South Europe, commented “Portugal is at a unique position of accelerating the development of the proven offshore wind technology off its coasts. We are thrilled to join forces with Martifer Renewables & Energy for the first historic tender, that should soon be announced. Ocean Winds has been developing and operating successfully the WindFloat Atlantic floating offshore wind farm from its operations & maintenance base in the port of Viana do Castelo. Adding this local experience to its international expertise in offshore wind and now combining it with Martifer’s unique position and industrial capabilities and capacity, will enable the partnership to deliver efficient, reliable and sustainable offshore wind projects, reinforcing Portugal’s leading position in renewable energy while bringing true value to the country.”
Congrats to the teams involved, and great things are coming!
OW, Eneco & Otary join forces for the Princess Elisabeth concessions in Belgium!
Great news! OW, Eneco and Otary have announced the formation of a strategic partnership (subject to all required regulatory/competition approvals) to jointly compete in the tender for the offshore wind Princess Elisabeth concessions in Belgium.
But this is not a completely new partnership! Companies in the country have already been partnering up since 2020 with our operational project: SeaMade. The partnership brings a history of unparalleled expertise and experience in successfully developing and operating offshore wind farms in the country. This foundation allowed us to submit the most competitive bid in an expectedly highly competitive tender process.
This new consortium was formed to compete in the upcoming tenders for the Princess Elisabeth Zone (PEZ), which will be split into three lots: one for the development of a 700 MW offshore wind farm and two lots for the development of offshore wind farms of 1,225 to 1,400 MW, all with bottom fixed technology.
The preparatory work is already underway, including site assessments by the government and the construction by Elia of the Princess Elisabeth Island for the offshore grid connection. Nevertheless, there is significant work left to do to ensure timely project realisation, including the Ventilus and Boucle du Hainaut projects for onshore grid reinforcement.
Wouter Vandekerkhove, our Country Manager Belgium and Netherlands, commented: “Ocean Winds is thrilled to partner once again with Otary and Eneco for the Princess Elisabeth offshore wind tenders. Our participation will be based on our international expertise and experience from our three operational offshore wind farms and four under construction, combined with Otary and Eneco’s local knowledge. We are looking forward to expanding the positive impacts of the successfully operating SeaMade wind farm to bring more clean energy from offshore wind for Belgium’s energy transition.”
We’re excited about this new journey! Let’s see what the future holds for OW in Belgium!!
Picture of the month
Despite delays faced by Eiffage, the EFGL floaters assembly phase began this year in Fos-sur-Mer. Here is a picture of the advancement!
As you know, we are not in a position to announce a precise provisional timetable, as we are awaiting a firm schedule for the construction of the floats and installation of the pilot farm from Eiffage Métal. But we keep on advancing!
OW’s Global Presence
OW’s presence in Australia Wind Energy!
This month OW was present at the Australia Wind Energy 2024 in Melbourne!
Our Head of Business Development for Japan and APAC, Pelayo Rodríguez Alonso, participated in a panel discussion entitled, “Stimulating Investment and Development: Unlocking Offshore Wind Revolution in Australia”.
After being awarded the 1.3 GW High Sea Wind project in April, we will play a key role in advancing offshore wind energy in Australia. Our colleague Pelayo highlighted how OW’s international experience has provided us with the expertise to develop effective strategies and actions. By collaborating with key stakeholders, from suppliers to communities, we can establish the necessary supply chain and infrastructure to effectively deliver our projects.
As shared in our last newsletter, we have signed an MOU with Monash University to collaborate on the development of offshore wind and promote environmental conservation in the country.
Thank you to Pelayo, and to Dimitri Laloux, our new Director for Origination and Partnership, for representing us!!
And that wasn’t all! At the end of June, our SouthCoast Wind project was proud to serve as the Presenting Sponsor of US Sailing’s 2024 National Youth Championships, the Nation’s pinnacle youth sailing competition that brought together nearly 300 of the nation’s top sailors. This year, the Championship took place in Bristol, Rhode Island, which is directly adjacent to Brayton Point, where the SouthCoast Wind project will interconnect into the regional electric grid, and we were excited to send a large OW group to support this great event that celebrates teamwork, skill, and perseverance.
SouthCoast Wind is the official “Offshore Wind Partner” of US Sailing, working together to promote local STEM education programs, safety at sea, and equal opportunities in marine recreation. Founded in 1897, US Sailing is the National Governing Body for sailing in the U.S., representing 43,000+ members nationwide. Sailors and other recreational boaters are an essential stakeholder group in the offshore wind industry, and building a strong relationship with US Sailing and similar groups is a key priority for our U.S. projects. The CEO of US Sailing, Alan Ostfield, also praised SouthCoast Wind and our partnership, saying, “There aren’t many better duos than sailing and wind. What we discovered in SouthCoast Wind was a driven, likeminded team of people with shared values that are also at the heart of US Sailing’s mission.”
On July 18th, our OW NA team sponsored and attended the New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE)’s annual “Women Shaping the Agenda” event in Worcester, MA. The theme this year was Breaking Barriers and Building Resilience, and the event featured an inspiring panel of leading women in the environmental and energy fields. The panelists discussed their unique career paths, shared the steps they took to overcome challenges throughout their professional journeys, and provided insightful advice for women in the audience facing similar challenges. OW is proud to be a member of NEWIEE and other organizations that elevate the voices of women and underrepresented groups across the energy and environmental sectors.
What’s new in offshore?
Discover the Supply Chain Impact Report!
Do you know about the concrete socio-economic impacts of our investments in offshore wind energy? Not sure about the numbers? Well, you can find out in this report on Moray Firth, prepared by our teams in the UK, which compiles information from our more than 10 years’ presence in the region with three projects!
Our UK teams have produced the Supply Chain Impact Report, which examines the effect of our Moray Firth offshore wind projects on Scotland’s and the UK’s supply chains. Over 100 Scottish and UK-based supply companies participated in our Moray Firth projects: the operating Moray East, the under-construction Moray West and the ongoing advanced development Caledonia!
Independent analysis from the report reveals impressive socio-economic benefits: development and construction of these projects alone created over 8,000 jobs and generated over £700 million for the UK economy!! The operational Moray West is expected to contribute a further £800 million to Scotland.
Moreover, the report features case studies of 15 Scottish suppliers who benefitted from contracts with our company, demonstrating the actual potential and opportunities that our sector has brought to the region, from large-scale investments to collaborating with SMEs.
Along with these great results, we celebrated a launch event in Aberdeen! The event featured presentations by Adam Morrison, our UK Country Manager, Maggie McGinlay, CEO of Energy Transition Zone Ltd, Paul O’Brien, DeepWind Cluster Manager, and Aberdeenshire Councillor Doreen Mair.
Constructive discussions highlighted our O&M base in Fraserburgh Harbour as a catalyst for benefitting both the offshore wind industry and existing sectors in its expansion. This proactive approach showcases our commitment to leveraging future projects to support and foster leading-edge local businesses.
So, take a look the report!
Great case study from our teams!! Thank you to those involved for this great work!
InnOWation
We have the 2024 INNOW selected volunteers!
Last month we launched the INNOW 2024 program with a call for volunteers to contribute their work to resolve some OW challenges with innovative ideas.
We received applications from 48 employees of 8 countries, most of whom were interested in several challenges, thus summing up an astonishing total of 107 challenge applications!
Behind every single volunteer application there is a courageous colleague of ours who is ready to question statu quo and embark on a mission of exploration. So, huge congratulations to all of them.
Now, a selected group of colleagues will have the opportunity to live the innovation process, firsthand, during the 14 weeks acceleration phase… and we already have their names!
Drumroll, please…
Dream Team 1:
- Angie García
- Johanna Jordi
- Dominik Dados
- Lourenço Horta Correia
Will be squeezing their minds while working on the challenge: How might we leverage our existing offshore wind infrastructure to develop new business opportunities for us?
Dream Team 2:
- David García Edo
- Giulia Licocci
- Surabhi Verma
- Andrés McKay
Will be trying to develop new ways for the challenge: How might we make sure governments trust and choose our proposals way above those of our competitors?
Dream Team 3:
- Aileen Burke
- Raquel Araujo
- Elena Caja
Will be trying to help OW improve by working on the challenge: How might we enhance and boost knowledge sharing across OW?
Dream Team 4:
- Pawel Sitarski
- Rodrigo Lorca
- Rebecca Ullman
Will be trying to overcome the challenge: How might we increase local content without increasing costs?
And Dream Team 5:
- Stefan Dominioni
- Gaëlle Desmergers
- Remy Majoie
- José David Jiménez
Will be taking on the challenge: How might we optimize operations and maintenance processes to improve both efficiency and safety simultaneously?
These 5 teams will now start a very innovative and intense journey! From September, they will take part in a 14-week Acceleration Phase until December, where, following the innovation process and methodology, they will try to develop meaningful solutions for their specific challenges.
We want to thank again all of you who signed up as volunteers! Your dedication and enthusiasm to contribute to OW are truly appreciated.
And special congratulations to those selected; we all look forward to seeing the amazing work you will bring to INNOW!
People
OW’s first retiree: Meet Gilles L’Haridon!
This month, we are celebrating OW’s first EVER retiree! Gilles L’Haridon will be leaving after three years with OW, during which he has worked on French Tenders and managed port activities and local content.
But his connection to us goes far back! Gilles started his career with our sponsor ENGIE in 2011, where he worked in offshore wind for the first French offshore wind tenders. Later, he went on to work for our floating project in the Mediterranean, Eoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL), currently under construction.
He also worked for the two French renewable energy syndicates (Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables and France Renouvelables) to develop a French State programme to win the current tenders AO4 to AO9 (7 GW).
But that’s not all! We had the opportunity to talk with him and ask him more about his time at OW!
Gilles, what were some of the memorable moments in your career here?
The most memorable moments were in 2016, when we won the tender for the floating offshore wind project in the Mediterranean, which was the beginning of an innovative project in France! Also, one of my favourite moments was when we had the opportunity to go to Fene to visit the Navantia shipyard and Ferrol’s harbour, where the first WindFloat Atlantic floater was under construction, similar to the one that we will be installing in EFGL!
And about OW, what did you enjoy most about your role here?
I have enjoyed many things throughout my journey at OW! From working with colleagues in very friendly and talented teams, to all the meetings with our French stakeholders and suppliers, visits and activities that have contributed to the development of our projects here.
For your colleagues who are continuing their journey with OW, could you let them know about some of the biggest challenges you faced? And any advice that you would give them?
Throughout the years, we faced some great challenges. I would say that the biggest challenges were adhering to the tender schedules, which involved a lot of work and coordination within the different teams and planning the Mediterranean floating project during the first year after being awarded the contract. It’s now great to see it being constructed!!
So, what are you most proud of achieving during your time with us?
I am proud of my involvement with the French renewable energy syndicates, which has contributed to defining the capacity of the current tenders. But I would also say that one of the things that I’m most proud of is our work with the local stakeholders’ organisations, especially in defining the maritime areas for tenders, which enabled us to produce something with which all partied agreed.
And last question Gilles, what lessons have you learned that you'll carry with you into retirement?
It was a pleasure to go to the office every day, to work in the offshore wind sector, to work with all my friendly colleagues, to engage with our key stakeholders and with communities, and to be part of a company such as Ocean Winds.
Thank you, Gilles, for your time at OW, for sharing your story, and inspiring all of us! We wish you a very happy and well-deserved retirement. You will be missed!
Communications
4th anniversary of our WindFloat Atlantic project!
We celebrate 4 years of WindFloat Atlantic generating clean energy, while making a positive impact!
In July 2020, our three floating offshore wind turbines began supplying power, unlocking new opportunities globally. Their true impact, however, lies in our commitment to the local community, our dedication to preserving the environment and its biodiversity, and the positive impact of offshore wind energy!
Day after day, OW remains deeply engaged with the local community, ensuring they feel an integral part of this remarkable project and share our pride in its success.
Who better to share the project’s connection with the local community of Viana do Castelo than our newly appointed OW Ambassador, Pedro Afonso? An international kitesurfer born and raised in Viana do Castelo, Pedro is helping us promote the benefits of offshore wind both in his hometown and globally.
Check out the interview with Pedro, conducted by our Country Manager for Southern Europe and Project Director of WindFloat Atlantic, José Pinheiro. The interview took place right after Pedro’s incredible kitesurfing session among the floating offshore wind turbines of WindFloat Atlantic that we recently shared!
Don’t miss it! 👇
LinkedIn post of the month
Don't miss out on OW's LinkedIn profile!! And we introduce you to our new LinkedIn profile for the Golden State Wind project! An opportunity to connect with our local stakeholders from the Morro Bay area and to share the advancements of this 2 GW floating offshore project off the coast of California!
This month, the post about First Power has gathered more than 1,200 likes! We have seen many reposts from the OW team... thank you for being our number one ambassadors!
Remember that we encourage you to share what makes you #ProudtobeOW and share more on what means the #wOWlife!
