Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Store has visited Gulen in Vestland County to see the construction of the Hywind Tampen floating wind farm.
Four of the 11 wind turbines in the 88MW offshore wind farm have now been installed, standing 190 metres in height over Fensfjorden before being towed out into the North Sea for offshore floating power generation.
LO president Peggy Hessen Folsvik, NHO director general Ole Erik Almlid, and Enova CEO Nils Kristian Nakstad accompanied the prime minster to Gulen, where they could see how Hywind Tampen will supply the Gullfaks and Snorre fields in the North Sea with electricity from floating offshore wind.
Equinor renewables executive vice president Pal Eitrheim said: “Hywind Tampen proves that floating offshore wind can supply Norway with renewable power.
“Less than three years after we submitted plans for development and operation, we can now point to the result of good cooperation between authorities and the industry to make floating offshore wind a reality.
“The next step is to develop larger floating offshore wind projects in the North Sea.
“This is possible because the industry and the authorities have been bold and helped develop a supplier industry for offshore wind based on expertise from the oil and gas industry.”
Along with Geir Tungesvik, Equinor’s executive vice president for projects, drilling and procurement, and project director for Hywind Tampen Olav-Bernt Haga, the delegation was given a tour of the assembly area for the offshore wind turbines.
A total of seven primary suppliers and a large number of subcontractors have contributed to the project, with a contribution rate from Norwegian suppliers of about 50%.
The turbines that make up Hywind Tampen are currently being assembled at Wergeland Base in Gulen in Vestland County.
This is where the tower structure, turbine housing and blades are mounted before being towed 140 km out to the Snorre and Gullfaks fields, where the offshore wind farm will be supplying power to the installations.