The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Industry has approved plans for Equinor’s 88MW Hywind Tampen floating wind project.
Both the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) and the Norwegian government have approved the project, Equinor said.
Equinor and the Snorre and Gullfaks partners submitted two updated plans for development and operation to Norwegian authorities last October.
The wind farm will consist of 11 8MW offshore wind turbines and will meet 35% of the annual power demand of the five platforms Snorre A and B and Gullfaks A, B and C.
The Hywind Tampen investment will be close to Nkr5bn (€443m). Norwegian authorities have granted funding of up to Nkr2.3bn through Enova and the Norwegian Business Sector’s NOx fund will support the project by up to Nkr566m.
A study by Multiconsult said Hywind Tampen will create spin-off opportunities equivalent to 1550-3000 man-years for Norwegian trade and industry. Most of these will occur in the project’s development phase.
“We are experiencing very challenging times, and we are focusing on continuing our transition effort while attending to and developing the value of the Norwegian continental shelf and at the same time reducing the climate footprint from our operations,” said Arne Sigve Nyland, Equinor development and production vice president for Norway.
“Hywind Tampen is a pioneering project and a central contribution to reducing emissions from Gullfaks and Snorre, and I am pleased that both ESA and Norwegian authorities have approved the project,” Sigve Nyland added.
Equinor technology, projects and drilling executive vice president Anders Opedal said: “On behalf of the partners, Equinor has awarded contracts totalling Nkr3.4bn, subject to final project approval by Norwegian authorities. It is a plus that the oil and gas industry is competitive in renewables projects as well, and the contracts will lead to considerable spin-off effects in Norway.
He added, “As the whole industry is currently experiencing much uncertainty, it is vital that we progress projects that spur technology development in the renewables segment and create spin-off effects on the Norwegian supplier industry.”
The project will be located around 140km from shore, between the Snorre and Gullfaks platforms, at water depths of up to 300 metres.
Hywind Tampen is scheduled for start-up at the end of 2022.