Oct 18 | 2019
Pioneering Floating Wind Project Approved
Energy major Equinor and its Snorre and Gullfaks partners have reached a final investment decision for the Hywind Tampen offshore wind farm development, paving the way for new forms of breakbulk transport.
The pioneering design for the Hywind project envisages a new type of floating wind farm located 140 kilometers from shore in 260-300 meters of water between the Snorre and Gullfaks platforms. The project will be the first wind farm to power an oil and gas platform.
“We have been systematically maturing technologies for floating offshore wind for almost 20 years. The decision by the Snorre and Gullfaks partners helps bring this technology an important step forward. About 80 percent of the global resource potential for offshore wind is in deep waters, and floating offshore wind may play an important part in the energy transition towards more sustainable global energy supply. This brings substantial opportunities for Norwegian industry,” said Eldar Sætre, CEO of Equinor.
11 Turbines
The wind farm will consist of 11 wind turbines based on the Hywind technology developed by Equinor. The 8 megawatt turbines will have a total capacity of 88 megawatts, capable of meeting about 35 percent of the annual power demand of the five Snorre A and B, Gullfaks A, B and C platforms.
Headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, Equinor has traditionally been a petroleum explorer, but since rebranding from Statoil in 2018, the group has entered the wind power sector aggressively, investing in 20 wind energy operations in 36 countries, and now ranks as one of the world's largest oil and gas companies.
The Hywind Tampen investments will total almost NOK 5 billion. Two updated plans for development and operation have also been submitted to Norwegian authorities, who will, via the state-owned Enova, make a funding commitment for a further NOK 2.3 billion for the project.
“The pioneering Hywind Tampen project will help cut emissions from Gullfaks and Snorre. We are driving a transition aimed to sustain and add value on the Norwegian continental shelf, while reducing the carbon footprint from our operations,” said Arne Sigve Nylund, Equinor’s executive vice president for development and production Norway.
On Stream in 2022
Scheduled to come on stream in late 2022, the Hywind Tampen will act as a bellwether for a new wave of floating wind farms that are forecast to be a major driver for breakbulk activity over the next decade as technology improves.
Hywind Tampen will be operated from Equinor’s Bergen office. Gulen Industrihamn in western Norway has been chosen for the assembly of the floating wind turbines for Hywind Tampen before being transported to the field in the North Sea.
Earlier this quarter, Equinor and power provider China Power International Holding signed an agreement to cooperate in the development of new offshore wind projects across China and Europe. The memorandum of understanding is expected to spur significant new breakbulk activity.
The pioneering design for the Hywind project envisages a new type of floating wind farm located 140 kilometers from shore in 260-300 meters of water between the Snorre and Gullfaks platforms. The project will be the first wind farm to power an oil and gas platform.
“We have been systematically maturing technologies for floating offshore wind for almost 20 years. The decision by the Snorre and Gullfaks partners helps bring this technology an important step forward. About 80 percent of the global resource potential for offshore wind is in deep waters, and floating offshore wind may play an important part in the energy transition towards more sustainable global energy supply. This brings substantial opportunities for Norwegian industry,” said Eldar Sætre, CEO of Equinor.
11 Turbines
The wind farm will consist of 11 wind turbines based on the Hywind technology developed by Equinor. The 8 megawatt turbines will have a total capacity of 88 megawatts, capable of meeting about 35 percent of the annual power demand of the five Snorre A and B, Gullfaks A, B and C platforms.
Headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, Equinor has traditionally been a petroleum explorer, but since rebranding from Statoil in 2018, the group has entered the wind power sector aggressively, investing in 20 wind energy operations in 36 countries, and now ranks as one of the world's largest oil and gas companies.
The Hywind Tampen investments will total almost NOK 5 billion. Two updated plans for development and operation have also been submitted to Norwegian authorities, who will, via the state-owned Enova, make a funding commitment for a further NOK 2.3 billion for the project.
“The pioneering Hywind Tampen project will help cut emissions from Gullfaks and Snorre. We are driving a transition aimed to sustain and add value on the Norwegian continental shelf, while reducing the carbon footprint from our operations,” said Arne Sigve Nylund, Equinor’s executive vice president for development and production Norway.
On Stream in 2022
Scheduled to come on stream in late 2022, the Hywind Tampen will act as a bellwether for a new wave of floating wind farms that are forecast to be a major driver for breakbulk activity over the next decade as technology improves.
Hywind Tampen will be operated from Equinor’s Bergen office. Gulen Industrihamn in western Norway has been chosen for the assembly of the floating wind turbines for Hywind Tampen before being transported to the field in the North Sea.
Earlier this quarter, Equinor and power provider China Power International Holding signed an agreement to cooperate in the development of new offshore wind projects across China and Europe. The memorandum of understanding is expected to spur significant new breakbulk activity.
