TGS performing geophysical survey for floating wind farm planned to power oil & gas platforms

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

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

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

UHR3D data will provide a detailed understanding of the subsurface conditions, revealing potential risks and challenges that are not always accurately captured through traditional 2D data interpolation, TGS says.

The enhanced data collection will help the Green Volt project team identify geological hazards and structural complexities, contributing to improved site assessment and risk mitigation strategies. This, in turn, will form a reliable foundation for the project’s ongoing planning and execution, according to the Norway-based survey and energy intelligence company.

“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. This simultaneous acquisition of all sensors and the application of our cutting-edge processing techniques is reinforcing our commitment to delivering industry-leader data solutions. 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 one of the 13 offshore wind projects Crown Estate Scotland selected in 2023, in the world’s first leasing round designed to enable offshore wind energy to directly supply offshore oil and gas platforms.

That same year, the consortium signed an exclusivity agreement for Green Volt, as well as its Cenos floating offshore wind project.

According to its developers, Green Volt is on track to be the first commercial-scale floating offshore wind farm in Europe.

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

Green Volt is planned to have up to 35 floating wind turbines, totalling up to 560 MW in installed capacity.

The floating wind farm, expected to produce its first power in 2029, will deliver renewable electricity to oil and gas platforms, replacing existing natural gas and diesel power generation. Green Volt will also provide electricity to the UK grid.