Equinor and the Snorre and Gullfaks partners have made a final investment decision for the Hywind Tampen flaoting offshore wind farm development. Two updated plans for development and operation will be submitted to Norwegian authorities.
The wind farm will be located some 140 kilometres from shore in 260-300 metres of water between the Snorre and Gullfaks oil and gas platforms. The platforms will be the first-ever powered by a floating offshore wind farm.
The Hywind Tampen investments will total almost NOK5 billion (US$551 million). Norwegian authorities through Enova have made a funding commitment of up to NOK2.3 billion (US$253 million) for the Hywind Tampen project. In addition, the Business Sector’s NOx Fund has decided to support the project by up to NOK566 million (US$62 million).
The wind farm will consist of 11 wind turbines based on the Hywind technology developed by Equinor. The 8 MW turbines will have a total capacity of 88 MW, capable of meeting about 35 percent of the annual power demand of the five Snorre A and B, Gullfaks A, B and C platforms.
By reducing the use of gas turbines on the fields the project helps cut CO2 emissions by more than 200,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to the annual emissions from 100,000 passenger cars.
Scheduled to come on stream in late 2022 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.
