The Norwegian energy company plans to test five 6MW turbines at the demonstration park in Buchan Deep, off Aberdeenshire, in 100-metre deep waters.
In September 2009, Statoil installed a floating turbine 10 kilometres off Norway’s south-west coast. That Hywind project supports a 2.3MW Siemens turbine and is in water depths of 200 metres.
The Crown Estate and Statoil have been working on this project for the past two years. Statoil is now trying to secure the necessary consents from the Scottish Government.
Part of the aim of the project is to see if the floating turbines can operate as part of an array.
Siri Espedal Kindem, Statoil's senior vice president for renewable energy, said: "We will continue to mature the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park towards a final investment decision, by conducting marine surveys and concept studies in order to demonstrate technical and commercial feasibility for future offshore floating wind."
Huub den Rooijen, the Crown Estate’s head of offshore wind, said: "Investing in new technologies will be crucial to unlocking offshore wind potential over the long term whilst we continue to focus on the current development pipeline."
In June, the Crown Estate announced it is running a test and demonstration programme which includes a leasing round for offshore floating wind projects.
