Hywind Tampen

Hywind Tampen Wind Farm Profile

Location and Context

• The Hywind Tampen wind farm is located approximately 140 kilometers offshore in the Norwegian North Sea, between the Snorre and Gullfaks oil and gas platforms.
• It is situated in an area with water depths ranging from 260 to 300 meters, where conventional fixed-bottom turbines are not feasible due to the water depth and seabed geology.

Project Overview

• Hywind Tampen is the world's largest and first floating offshore wind farm specifically designed to power offshore oil and gas installations. It is a significant step in the energy transition and reduces the CO2 emissions of offshore operations.
• The project was developed by Equinor, with partners including DEA Norge, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway, Inpex Idemitsu Norge, OMV (Norge), Petoro, and Vår Energi. Each partner holds a percentage of the ownership, with Equinor holding 36.4% and the others holding 9.83% each.

Capacity and Turbines

• The wind farm has a total system capacity of 88 MW, generated by 11 wind turbines. Each turbine is an SWT-8.0-167 DD model from Siemens Gamesa, with an upgraded capacity of 8.6 MW.
• The turbines are installed on floating concrete spar structures with a shared anchoring system, a necessity due to the deep water and seabed conditions.

Construction and Operation

• Construction commenced in 2020, with steel cutting starting at Kværner’s yard in Stord, western Norway. The first turbine was installed offshore in May 2022, and the wind farm began producing power in the third quarter of 2022. It reached full operation in the summer of 2023.
• The assembly of the turbines was a complex process, requiring the use of specialized cranes such as the PTC 200-DS and LR 1750, along with Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMT) to handle the components in a controlled port environment before towing them to the installation site.

Environmental Impact and Benefits

• Hywind Tampen is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 200,000 metric tons annually, equivalent to the emissions from 100,000 passenger cars. It also reduces NOx emissions by 1,000 tons annually.
• The project includes a bird radar system to monitor bird behavior and study the impact of offshore wind on bird life.

Power Supply and Efficiency

• The wind farm supplies electricity to Equinor’s Snorre and Gullfaks oil and gas fields, meeting about 35% of the annual power demand of these platforms. During periods of higher wind speeds, this percentage can be significantly higher.
• The increased capacity of the turbines, despite the export system and platforms not being upgraded accordingly, is expected to contribute to higher overall yearly production due to increased uptime and utilization rates.

Technological Significance and Future Development

• Hywind Tampen serves as a test bed for further development of floating wind technology, exploring new and larger turbines, installation methods, simplified moorings, and the integration of gas and wind power systems.
• The project has set a new standard in renewable energy and is expected to drive Norwegian legislation and offer scalable solutions for global energy needs. It is a crucial step in industrializing solutions and reducing costs for future offshore wind power projects.

Contractors and Suppliers

• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy was selected as the turbine supplier and is also the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the project. They are also responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M) for a period of five years.

In summary, Hywind Tampen is a pioneering project that not only reduces emissions from offshore oil and gas operations but also advances the technology and scalability of floating offshore wind farms, setting a precedent for future global developments in renewable energy.