The Norwegian port of Gulen will host assembly of the world’s first wind turbines to bring green power to oil and gas platforms.
Energy giant Equinor said Gulen Industrial Harbour will be the base for construction of the NKr5bn ($590m) Hywind Tampen project, which will use floating turbines to cut the carbon footprint of five oil and gas platforms.
The 88MW project would also be the first commercial offshore wind farm off Norway.
Equinor has yet to take a final investment decision for Hywind Tampen, whose 11, 8MW turbines would meet about 35% of the platforms’ power demand.
Equinor already has the world’s first commercial floating wind farm up and running off Scotland.
Figures from Norwegian energy business development body Norwep forecast the country’s offshore wind industry, including export and international sales, could swell to reach NKr50bn ($5.9bn) a year by 2030, “up from small numbers today”.
“The Tampen and [Enbridge 350MW] Havsul projects are both important to transitioning more Norwegian industry from offshore oil & gas to offshore wind,” said Norwep wind and solar sector director Jon Dugstad.