The Culzean floating wind turbine, set to power the Culzean gas platform in the North Sea off Scotland, is ready for offshore deployment following the completion of its integration with the floating foundation.
Archer, the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction contractor, announced the installation of a Vestas wind turbine’s tower, nacelle, and blades on a floating foundation designed by Ocergy.
The integration work was completed alongside partners Global Maritime, Navitas Renewables, Wergeland Group, Sarens, and Archer Vertikal.
The floating wind pilot is among the 13 Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) offshore wind projects awarded seabed rights by Crown Estate Scotland in 2023. TotalEnergies, operator of the Culzean gas field, secured these rights.
TotalEnergies initiated the project in August 2024, with fabrication starting in November.
Currently, NEO NEXT+ Energy, an independent UK oil and gas producer formed through a merger of NEO Energy, Repsol UK, and TotalEnergies’ UK upstream business on 30 March 2026, leads the project.
The pilot includes a single 3 MW floating wind turbine located 2 kilometers west of the Culzean platform, about 220 kilometers off Scotland’s east coast.
Upon commissioning, the turbine is expected to meet 20% of the platform’s electricity needs, reducing emissions by decreasing dependence on gas turbines.
Apart from powering the gas platform, the Culzean Floating Wind pilot serves as a testbed for floating wind technology, providing data and insights for future projects. The semi-submersible foundation, designed by Ocergy for modular and rapid assembly, marks the first commercial use of its OCG-Wind floating foundation technology.
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