Public sector investment supports floating offshore wind foundations development for Highlands

Approval was given by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) after close collaboration with Scottish Enterprise’s international arm, Scottish Development International (SDI), to secure the project for Scotland.

The funding will support an 18-month front-end engineering design (FEED) study led by the France based company BW Ideol, a subsidiary of BW Ideol AS, which plans to develop an industrial facility at the Port of Ardersier dedicated to the serial production of its Damping Pool® concrete floating foundations.

Optimised for serial construction methods such as gantry slipforming and automated prefabrication, the facility is designed to deliver one foundation every 12 days from a single line, equivalent to approximately 500 MW of annual capacity.

Once operational, it could create around 1,200 direct jobs in the Highlands and catalyse a broader regional supply chain. The Damping Pool® has been identified as the preferred floating foundation for the Buchan Offshore Wind project (1 GW), in which BW Ideol holds a 33% stake alongside BayWa r.e. and Elicio.

BW Ideol is a world leader in the design, development and deployment of reinforced concrete floating offshore wind foundations. In Scotland, it strengthened its long-term commitment to the Port of Ardersier through a partnership agreement signed in September 2021, securing exclusive access to the site for concrete foundations.

The project will also enable major investment in Scotland’s renewable wind energy that will unlock the region’s energy opportunity and support its transition to net zero.

The FEED study will inform the next phases of development.

Energy Minister Stephen Gethins said:

“Once complete, this production facility has the potential to generate over a thousand new well-paid, skilled jobs, as well as supply chain opportunities for businesses in the Highlands and across the country.

“That’s why the Scottish Government is backing its development with more than £778,000, as part of our wider strategic investment to develop Scotland’s ports and offshore wind chain, so that communities across the country can benefit from Scotland’s energy wealth through job creation and increased energy security.”

HIE chief executive Stuart Black said:

“Renewable energy presents one of the biggest economic opportunities for the Highlands and Islands. It’s important that we capitalise on this opportunity and that’s what these enabling investments are about.

“This particular investment supports a critical step towards establishing large-scale floating wind manufacturing in the Highlands. Projects like this have the potential to create high-value jobs and build a strong regional supply chain. This in turn ensures the Highlands and Islands can capture long-term economic benefit from Scotland’s offshore wind opportunity.”

Managing director investment and international at Scottish Enterprise Reuben Aitken said:

“Over half of Scotland’s 40GW potential offshore wind project pipeline is in floating wind. This positions Scotland as one of the world’s first large-scale floating wind markets. It’s fantastic to see international investors like BW Ideol recognise the scale of this opportunity and progress plans for a new facility at the Port of Ardersier.  

“Bringing together Team Scotland partners, we’ve helped the company secure the right location, unlock funding and connect the project into the wider energy ecosystem. The investment is an important step towards anchoring high-value activity in Scotland, strengthening the supply chain, and creating jobs. With investments of this scale, we can industrialise floating offshore wind manufacturing and reduce its costs, accelerating our net zero ambitions.”

BW Ideol CEO Paul de la Guérivière said:

“This first public sector backing is an encouraging signal for our Ardersier Floating Foundation Factory. It supports a key phase of our feasibility studies and reflects growing institutional confidence in industrial-scale floating wind in Scotland. The Highlands have all the assets to host a leading manufacturing hub for concrete floating foundations, and with the Buchan Offshore Wind project having just secured its onshore consent, our ambition is clear: to build these foundations locally, close to the projects they will serve, and to anchor a lasting industry in the region.”