The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
IN BUSINESS TODAY
New North Sea decommissioning plans revealed
Norwegian energy firm Statoil has started assembling the world’s first floating windfarm, which will be set up off the coast of Scotland this year.
The first two turbines were launched off the island of Stord, on the west coast of Norway, this week. The world’s largest crane vessel, Saipem 7000, was used to lift them.
A total of five turbines will make up the Hywind pilot park which will start production in the autumn.
Each turbine weighs 12,000 tonnes and has a total height of 820ft, with 557ft above sea level.
Hywind, which will be built about 15 miles off the coast of Peterhead, is forecast to generate green energy to power roughly 20,000 homes.
Irene Rummelhoff, Statoil’s executive vice-president for new energy solutions, said: “Floating windfarms provide great opportunities in deeper waters, and the global potential is large.
“We are proud to help realise our ambition of profitable growth within renewable energy.”
The assembly process is centred on Stord, which has a deepwater berth, before the turbines are towed and installed off Scotland. A Statoil spokeswoman said “more protected environments such as a fiord” reduced the installation risk.
Statoil and Abu Dhabiowned renewables company Masdar are the joint owners of Hywind Scotland, a scheme first mooted in 2001.