Hywind Tampen floating offshore wind farm officially opens to power oil fields

Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon inaugurated the Hywind Tampen floating offshore wind farm, the largest of its kind in the world. The wind farm will supply power to Gullfaks and Snorre, the first-ever oil and gas fields to transition to offshore wind energy. The venture aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Managed by Equinor from its Bergen office, Hywind Tampen boasts 11 wind turbines with a system capacity of 88MW.

Hywind Tampen is expected to fulfil about 35% of the annual electricity needs for the five platforms of Snorre A and B and Gullfaks A, B, and C. Developed in a mere five years, this revolutionary project has awarded 60% of its contract values to Norwegian suppliers. This strategy has not only stimulated green jobs and local spin-offs but has also catalyzed technology development for future floating offshore wind projects in a burgeoning industry.

Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon inaugurates the Hywind Tampen floating offshore wind farm. Photo courtesy of Ole Jørgen Bratland / Equinor.

Enova and the Norwegian Business Sector’s NoX Fund have contributed NOK 2.3 billion and NOK 566 million respectively to boost offshore wind technology and lower emissions. Although initial investment costs have increased to about NOK 7.4 billion due to various factors including COVID-related expenses and market fluctuations, the project still marks a cost improvement over the world’s first floating offshore wind farm, Hywind Scotland. Adjusted for price developments, the investment cost for Hywind Tampen is about 35% lower per installed MW compared to its Scottish counterpart.

“Hywind Tampen is slated to cut CO2 emissions by 200,000 tonnes annually from key North Sea oil and gas producers. It’s a bold venture that provides valuable experience for developing offshore wind in Norway and globally,” said Kjetil Hove, Executive Vice President for the Norwegian continental shelf in Equinor.

In line with the Norwegian government’s ambition to allocate acreage for 30 GW of offshore wind by 2040, Hywind Tampen stands as a pioneering testament to the untapped opportunities for renewable power production on the Norwegian continental shelf.