The largest floating wind farm in the world, Hywind Tampen, is finally up and running off the coast of Norway, according to the company developer's news release.
Six more turbines are expected to go online this year, bringing the total number of project turbines up to 11. The first turbine started producing power on November 13.
Powering Oil and Gas Production
According to Geir Tungesvik, executive vice president for projects, drilling, and procurement at Equinor, this is a special project because it is the first wind farm in the world to power oil and gas production facilities.
The Hywind Tampen wind farm, which is owned by the Gullfaks and Snorre partners, is anticipated to supply around 35% of the electricity requirements of the two fields. The company claims that this will reduce the fields' annual CO2 emissions by around 200,000 tonnes per year.
"The Norwegian content of the project is about 60 percent. This shows that we, together with our partners and suppliers, are building a new industry on the shoulders of the oil and gas business utilizing the competencies we together have acquired over many decades," Tungesvik said in a press release statement.
The turbines are mounted on floating constructions with a joint mooring system and are situated in waters that are 260-300 meters (853) below the surface.
Seven of the eleven turbines are expected to be operational this year. Four of the project's 11 required turbines have already been built, but the wind farm won't have them until the following year.
The facility has a capacity of 60 MW with seven turbines alone, making it the largest floating wind farm in the world, as per Interesting Engineering.
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The North Sea
According to Equinox, the North Sea will continue to be important for the energy transition as well as for the security of Norway's and Europe's energy supply at a time when they are facing an energy crisis due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
The company also claims that a new industry within the offshore wind in Norway is taking shape with the help of Hywind Tampen, which will help provide dependable, economical, and ecological energy sources.
Hywind Tampen aims to enhance gas export to Europe while reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector.
According to Kjetil Hove, executive vice president of Equinor for Exploration and Production Norway, this makes a significant contribution to converting the Norwegian continent from an oil and gas province to a broad energy province.
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Written by Jace Dela Cruz
