Crown Estate Scotland, which is responsible for leasing the seabed for offshore power generation, has recently launched the leasing process for its Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) initiative.
INTOG differs from typical leasing rounds for offshore windfarms in that it aims to help achieve the targets that the North Sea Transition Deal set for emission reductions following agreements between industry and government.
Potential developers have, therefore, been invited to enter their proposals for installations to decarbonise oil and gas platforms, such as those operated by oil and lubricant producers like Shell and BP. Applicants can also apply for leases for innovative offshore wind projects with a capacity lower than 100 MW when they are unconnected to the oil and gas industry. Awards will be allocated from different pots for these two areas based on the quality and price of the bids, with successful applications likely being notified by March next year.
Crown Estate Scotland’s Director of Marine, Colin Palmer, said about the INTOG initiative:
“INTOG represents an exciting opportunity to help decarbonise oil and gas installations and enable innovative projects which are important in lowering costs for the commercial deployment of offshore wind, reducing risk, and developing Scotland as a destination for innovation and technical expertise.”
He added that, in addition to helping to electrify platforms and reduce emissions from the North Sea oil and gas industry, INTOG would also support new jobs and skills and play an important role in meeting future energy needs while also progressing towards the country’s net-zero target.
