Inverness, UK, 16 December 2021 – The Ørsted, Falck Renewables, BlueFloat Energy consortium taking part in the current ScotWind offshore wind leasing round have announced details of a tie-up with Energy Skills Partnership Scotland (ESP) to help provide the workforce required to construct floating wind farms in Scotland.

A collaboration between Scotland’s colleges and partners from industry, established to increase Scotland’s ability to deliver the skills required by the energy, engineering and construction sectors, ESP won the Contribution to Skills category at the recent Scottish Green Energy Awards for its energy efficiency training network.

Jim Brown, Director at ESP, said: “The college sector has supported the wind industry in Scotland for over ten years having piloted the First Apprenticeship Programme for the UK and training hundreds of wind turbine technicians. This activity has accelerated over recent years driven by offshore wind developments and our Wind Training Network expanding to 10 member colleges informed by discussions with industry.  We are delighted to be part of this collaboration that will maximise the job opportunities in Scotland and ensure industry’s skills needs are met.

Duncan Clark, Head of Region UK at Ørsted, said: “Floating offshore wind represents a huge opportunity for Scotland to become a world leader in terms of facilities, skills and knowledge.  This partnership with ESP will ensure that young people can choose college courses which are tailored to fully equip them for a career in the offshore wind industry, boosting the economy and reinforcing Scotland’s position at the forefront of renewable technology.”

The deal with ESP will also develop programmes to re-skill the existing workforce, offering new opportunities to anyone keen to retrain.

Richard Dibley, Managing Director of Falck Renewables Wind Ltd, said: “As with all technologies, a skilled and motivated workforce is key to success.  Scotland has an excellent track record of developing and providing specialized training as it did so successfully with oil and gas. Working in partnership with Scotland’s colleges through ESP will help ensure we have a fully trained workforce ready for construction to begin.”

Carlos Martin, CEO of BlueFloat Energy, said: “Sites off the coast of Scotland are ideal for developing floating wind farms.  Our work with ESP will look at developing training in emerging areas such as advanced manufacturing and hydrogen related studies which would assist future projects and maximise the benefits of floating wind to Scotland. We are keen to share our expertise in delivering floating wind with local stakeholders to ensure they can benefit fully from the opportunity that it presents.”

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About Falck Renewables:

Falck Renewables has been active in the United Kingdom since 2002 and is currently operating an installed capacity of 413 MW. The company has ten wind farms around Scotland from Kilbraur in Sutherland to Assel Valley in South Ayrshire and has its operational headquarters in Inverness. It pioneered the co-operative ownership approach to wind farm development at its Boyndie Wind Farm and supports local investment, with co-operatives owning a stake in eight of its wind farms.

Falck Renewables S.p.A., listed on the Italian stock exchange (“FKR.MI”), develops, designs, builds and manages power production plants from renewable sources, with an installed capacity of 1,349 MW in the United Kingdom, Italy, United States, Spain, France, Norway and Sweden, using wind and solar power, WtE and biomass technologies. The Group is also a global player in the renewable energy technical advisory and asset management services business.

Press contact:

Jenny MacPherson |JMC Communications | T +44 7900 917143 |jenny@jmccomms.co.uk

About Ørsted:

The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants, and provides energy products to its customers. Ørsted ranks as the world’s most sustainable energy company in Corporate Knights’ 2021 index of the Global 100 most sustainable corporations in the world and is recognised on the CDP Climate Change A List as a global leader on climate action. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs 6,311 people. Ørsted’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2020, the group’s revenue was DKK 52.6 billion (EUR 7.1 billion).

Visit orsted.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

Press contact:

Paul Haines |Head of UK Media Relations | T +44 7880 149088 | pauha@orsted.co.uk

About BlueFloat Energy:

BlueFloat Energy is developing offshore wind projects in various regions of the world, where it can implement its vision: to accelerate global deployment of offshore wind as a key enabler for the energy transition and economic growth.

Founded by renewable energy professionals, BlueFloat Energy brings together unparalleled expertise in the design, development, financing, construction and execution of floating offshore wind projects.

BlueFloat Energy is supported by 547 Energy, the Quantum Energy Partners’ platform dedicated to clean energy investments. 547 Energy aims to partner with innovative companies who drive the growth of the green energy economy. Quantum Energy Partners is one of the world’s leading dedicated energy investment funds, with a portfolio of over $ 17 billion of assets under management since its inception in 1998.

Press contact:

Nailia Dindarova | Government and Regulatory Affairs Director | Ndindarova@bluefloat.com | +34 (0) 610 53 31 41