A final investment decision (FID) is expected “late this year” on the world-first plan to install a floating wind farm to help power an ageing offshore oil & gas field off Norway, a senior executive at developer Equinor confirmed.

Trine Ingeborg Ulla, a senior advisor in the energy giant’s wind and low carbon unit, told Recharge the NKr5bn ($601m) Hywind Tampen project, which will offset 35% of the annual energy demand of five of the Gullfaks and Snorre complex’s gas-turbine-powered platforms, would be an “important step forward [for the concept of reducing platform emissions with floating wind] – and for floating wind more generally.”