Construction of Equinor’s 88MW Hywind Tampen floating wind farm has begun with a symbolic steel-cutting ceremony involving Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg.
Solberg and Kvaerner apprentice Arne Linga started the cutting robot on the project’s first sheet of steel on 1 October, at Kvaerner Stord.
Kvaerner will build 11 floating concrete hulls for the project’s turbines.
Equinor president and CEO Eldar Saetre (pictured, left) said: “Hywind Tampen is a new chapter in Norway’s narrative as an energy nation.
“With support from the Norwegian authorities, we’re not only building Norway’s first offshore wind project; we’re refining floating offshore wind technology along with the Norwegian supplier industry.”
The development of the Hywind Tampen project involves around 250 full-time equivalents for Kvaerner employees.
A study conducted by Multiconsult shows that, in total, the Hywind Tampen project could provide 1550 to 3000 full-time equivalents in ripple effects for the Norwegian private sector.
Hywind Tampen project director Olav-Bernt Haga (pictured, right) said: “By using larger turbines, concrete substructures, new technology and a new assembly method, we’re well on our way towards delivering on the objective to reduce costs by more than 40% compared with Hywind Scotland.
“This is an important step to establish floating wind as a sustainable power supply alternative.”
Haga added: “If more major floating offshore wind projects are realised in the future, it will be possible to reduce costs even further, and we could see a development in cost reductions equivalent to the one we’ve seen in fixed foundation offshore wind.”
Hywind Tampen project will be the first floating offshore wind project to supply renewable power for oil and gas installations and will cover about 35% of the annual power needs on the five platforms Snorre A and B and Gullfaks A, B and C.
Siemens Gamesa is supplying the project’s turbines, which will be assembled at the Wergeland Base in Gulen in Vestland county.
The electric cables will be supplied by JDR Cable Systems which will be made in Hartlepool in the UK.
Subsea 7 AS will be responsible for installing the electric cables and connection to the Snorre and Gullfaks platforms.
Wood group will be responsible for modifications on the Snorre and Gullfaks platforms.