Wind

US' Invenergy launches into offshore wind via gigascale North Sea bid with BW Offshore

Chicago-based clean-energy giant aims to build on 29GW-plus onshore renewables portfolio via plan with floating technology partner in Scotland's ScotWind tender

Invenergy chief development officer Bryan Schueler
Invenergy chief development officer Bryan SchuelerFoto: Invenergy

US renewables giant Invenergy is set to make its first formal foray into the rapidly growing international offshore wind sector via a tie-up with floating technology specialist BW Offshore that will target development of up-to-5.4GW in Scotland’s maiden ScotWind leasing round.

The move marks a major strategic shift for the Chicago-based clean-energy developer, which has a 29GW-plus land-based wind, solar and energy storage portfolio backed some $43bn in financing, including several gigascale onshore wind farms in the US and some smaller projects in Scotland, but until now no offshore interests.

The joint venture (JV) with BW Offshore – the parent company of floating wind combine BW Ideol, formed earlier this year with French technology outfit Ideol – has its partnering roots in a recent deal with BW Group to build a floating regasification unit for the Energía del Pacífico liquid natural gas-to-power project in El Salvador.

“We are uniquely positioned to deliver innovative offshore wind infrastructure to Scotland through leveraging Invenergy’s decades of experience, expertise in leading complex projects to completion and network of strategic supplier relationships,” said Ivenergy’s chief development officer, Bryan Schueler.

Schueler said the developer’s “track-record in building and operating large-scale renewable projects around the world and here in Scotland... would ensure [its] approach to the engineering, design and procurement of technology solutions maximises opportunities for the Scottish supply chain in terms of manufacturing, fabrication and utilisation of Scottish ports and harbours”.

He said to Recharge: “Our project philosophy and focus is on minimising the cost of energy and maximising the economic impact to the Scottish energy consumer. Our projects have been proposed as such.”

BW Offshore CEO Marco Beenen said: “Together, we represent a unique blend of expertise and ambition to deliver the next phase of energy transition in Scotland, bringing substantial international project development experience and a strong track record for local value creation.”

“ScotWind will play a critical role in delivering the nation’s offshore wind targets and our ambition is to be a central part of this journey.”

In the US, Invenergy was one of nine developers qualified earlier this year by the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to participate in the 7GW New York Bight lease auction, but the submission into ScotWind – through which the Scottish government aims to build some 10GW of sea-based plant – is its first bona fide bid in the offshore sector.

Schueler said the JV’s “bid concept [was] unique, in that we have a long-standing supplier relationship with General Electric for [onshore] turbine supply and we have track record in partnering with BW Group through delivering a [floating] LNG-to-power project in El Salvador”.

Though the JV, said to be “focusing on developing both floating and fixed foundation offshore wind projects” off Scotland, would have a ready-made platform solution in Ideol’s so-called ‘damping pool’ design, Recharge is told that its plans remain technology-agnostic and guided by “doing what’s best for [a given] project”.
Scotland’s lead-off ScotWind licensing round – in the works since 2016 – has attracted a who’s-who of international energy players to the bidding table (see panel below), despite a process delayed by seabed landlord The Crown Estate Scotland earlier this year for a review following the uproar around ‘option fees’ paid by developers in the parallel UK Round 4 leasing process run by the Crown Estate for new acreage off England and Wales.
The acreage on offer ranges across water depths suited to both bottom-fixed and floating wind arrays, with the Scottish government announcing last week it was kicking off a new consultation with industry to explore weaving in projects that would use offshore wind to power operating oil & gas platforms, as part of the country’s push toward wider net zero goals.
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Published 8 September 2021, 07:30Updated 8 September 2021, 18:55
ScotlandEuropeInvenergyBW OffshoreBW Ideol