Emerald floating wind project : Simply Blue Energy to form JV with Shell

Royal Dutch Shell has reached an agreement with Simply Blue Energy in late January to take part in the Emerald floating wind project in the Irish waters of the Celtic Sea.

In this connection, the oil and gas giant will acquire a 51% stake in the Irish marine project developer Simply Blue Energy’s Simply Blue Energy Kinsale venture.

Post-acquisition, the joint venture will be operated by Simply Blue Energy with Shell contributing its floating wind experts.

The Emerald floating wind project, off the south coast of Ireland, will have a proposed initial capacity of 300MW and could be scaled up to 1GW to power 800,000 homes in Ireland.

It is currently in the early stage of development and is expected to be developed over a timeline of 8-10 years.

Based on the size of turbines selected, the first phase of the floating offshore wind project will include 15-25 turbines, said Shell.

Colin Crooks – VP Offshore Wind at Shell, commenting on the Emerald floating wind project, said: “At Shell we aim to build an integrated power business spanning electricity generation, trading and supply. This project could provide green power to consumers and businesses alike and contribute towards Shell’s ambition to be a net-zero emissions business by 2050, or sooner.

“Working alongside coastal communities to create shared value is key to success and this is why we have chosen and look forward to working with Simply Blue Energy who are rooted in the local community.”

Simply Blue Energy to form joint venture with Shell to develop the Emerald floating wind project in Ireland. Photo courtesy of Franz Bachinger from Pixabay.

The Emerald floating wind project is in the vicinity of Kinsale gas fields, which are being currently decommissioned.

The floating wind farm in Ireland will leverage renewable floating wind-powered generators.

According to Shell, floating wind technology, when compared to fixed wind turbines, can be installed in deeper waters. This enable the Emerald floating wind farm to be placed 35km to 60km from the shore.

Sam Roch-Perks – CEO of Simply Blue Energy said: “Floating wind energy is a major opportunity for Ireland to become a ‘Green Gulf’, by realising the benefits of its vast marine and offshore wind resources without negatively impacting our beautiful coastlines.

“Simply Blue Energy is delighted to work with Shell to further our portfolio of floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea. Our shared vision for Emerald is to do the right thing for our stakeholders, the community and the environment.

“This announcement represents an important milestone in the ability of the Emerald project to ensure the government meets its climate target of 5GW of offshore wind by 2030.”