Kincardine Project Takes Installed ABS-Class Floating Turbines to 80MW

Installation of the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm, the ABS-Classed Kincardine Offshore Wind has been completed.

The 48MW project, approximately 15km off the southeast coast of Aberdeenshire, at water depths ranging between 60m to 80m, is expected to generate up to 218GWh of clean electricity a year, which will be enough to power approximately 55,000 Scottish households.

ABS Class services to the facility include verifying full compliance with the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Floating Offshore Wind Turbines, and cover all phases of the project including design, fabrication, transport and service inspections.  As well as being constructed to ABS Class, each of the five floating turbines is flagged with the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).  ABS worked closely with the RMI to determine applicable IMO requirements and performed reviews as the RMI’s Recognized Organization.

“ABS is the global leader in the Classification of floating offshore wind, with our Guide used for more than 80MW of floating turbines now installed. As the leading Classification organization for the offshore industry since the very first offshore installations, we can use this extensive experience to support the safe development of the floating offshore wind industry,” said Matthew Tremblay, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Offshore. “This exciting project demonstrates the potential of floating turbines and we are confident they will have an increasingly prominent role to play in the development of sustainable energy all over the world.”

The Kincardine floating offshore wind farm is being developed by Kincardine Offshore Wind, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pilot Offshore Renewables (POR). Cobra Wind, a subsidiary of ACS Group, is responsible for the engineering, design, supply, construction, and commissioning of the Kincardine floating wind farm.

As part of its commitment to the industry, ABS has produced two highly detailed reports into the U.S. offshore wind sector this year. Download copies of the reports, as well as a range of other industry-leading support and guidance from ABS here.

A copy of the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Floating Offshore Wind Turbines can be downloaded here.