The Salamander Offshore Wind Farm, recognised as one of the most advanced floating wind projects in the UK, has achieved a critical milestone by securing its Section 36 Consent and associated Marine Licences from the Scottish Government.

This approval gives the green light for the development and operation of the floating wind array.

A joint venture between Ørsted, Simply Blue Group, and Subsea7, the Salamander project will be located approximately 35 kilometres off the coast of Peterhead. With a capacity of up to 100 megawatts (MW), the floating array is poised to play a vital role in harnessing Scotland's deepwater wind resources and in demonstrating cutting-edge floating wind technology at a commercial scale, setting a precedent for future ScotWind developments.

Achieving Section 36 Consent represents a significant step forward for the project and contributes to the broader delivery of the floating offshore wind pipeline. It also underscores the Scottish Government's commitment to the floating offshore wind industry, with their increased consenting resource in 2024 likely aiding the Directorate's ability to grant this consent within approximately 15 months.

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The recommendation from the Marine Directorate Licensing and Operations (MD-LOT) team, with input from stakeholders such as NatureScot, has now been approved by Scottish Ministers. This move is expected to bolster the Scottish supply chain and de-risk future floating offshore wind developments under the ScotWind leasing round. As the first innovation (IN) project from the INTOG leasing round to reach this stage, Salamander will provide invaluable insights into the technical, regulatory, and commercial challenges of floating wind deployment in Scottish waters.

Project director Hugh Yendole commented: “Coming hot on the heels of the onshore consent, this is yet another major achievement by the project team. While we worked proactively with MD-LOT in an attempt to achieve offshore consent – including compensation plans – within the 12-month target window, award within 15 months reflects our team's expertise, passion, commitment and seamless teamwork."

He further added: "We'd also like to give credit to the Scottish Government, MD-LOT and NatureScot, who delivered on their commitment to resource up and enable shorter consenting periods for high quality applications (Salamander's being comprehensive and clear enough not to need Supplementary Environmental Information). This, along with the phenomenal work done by the Salamander consenting and stakeholder teams – ably supported by the rest of the JV team – bodes well for Salamander's goal as a stepping stone innovation project of unlocking the Scottish supply chain ahead of the larger ScotWind build out."

Combined with the onshore Planning Permission in Principle secured in March 2025, this offshore consent ensures the project remains firmly on track for deployment before the end of 2030. Focus will now shift to securing an Option Agreement with Crown Estate Scotland and preparing for a Contract for Difference.