Wood to modify Equinor’s platforms for floating wind project

Oilfield services provider Wood has been awarded a new contract by Equinor to deliver modifications to two offshore installations in the Norwegian North Sea to connect electric power from floating wind turbines that form part of the Hywind Tampen development.

Equinor’s Hywind Tampen floating offshore wind farm development will supply electrical power to the nearby oil and gas platforms Gullfaks A, B, C, and Snorre A and B in the North Sea.

The project replaces energy generated by gas turbines with electricity from a floating wind park located between the Snorre and Gullfaks fields, reducing emissions by more than 200,000 tonnes per year.

Wood said on Wednesday that, as part of the three-year contract, Wood would provide the topside modifications necessary for the Snorre A and Gullfaks A platforms to integrate the Hywind floating wind park with existing systems powering the facilities. The scope of work also includes equipment installation on the floating wind turbines and upgrades to the onshore control room in Bergen, which will remotely operate the wind farm.

Dave Stewart, CEO of Wood’s Asset Solutions business in Europe, Africa, Asia & Australia, commented: “The Snorre A and Gullfaks A facilities will be the first oil and gas platforms to be powered by a floating offshore wind farm. We are proud to support Equinor on what is a flagship project for the North Sea’s energy transition journey.

“Wood is fully committed to applying our experience gained from decades of working in the region’s oil and gas industry to reduce the carbon intensity of offshore operations by modifying existing infrastructure.”

Equinor made a final investment decision for the Hywind Tampen development, and two updated plans for development and operation were submitted to Norwegian authorities in October 2019. Key contracts for the project were awarded in late October to Kværner, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, JDR Cable System, and Subsea 7.

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