Norwegian oil company StatoilHydro said on May 22 it has decided to build the world’s first full scale floating wind turbine, Hywind, and test it over a two-year period offshore Karmoy. The company said the USD 80- million pilot project combines its offshore oil experience with advanced technology for wind power and it is planned to go online in the autumn of 2009. “We have drawn on our offshore expertise from the oil and gas industry to develop wind power offshore,” said Alexandra Bech Gjorv, head of New Energy in StatoilHydro. The rotor blades on the floating wind turbine will have a diameter of 80 metres, and the nacelle will tower some 65 metres above the sea surface.
The floatation element will have a draft of some 100 metres below the sea surface, and will be moored to the seabed using three anchor points. The wind turbine can be located in waters with depths ranging from 120 to 700 metres. “Taking wind turbines to sea presents new opportunities. The wind is stronger and more consistent, areas are large and the challenges we are familiar with from onshore projects are fewer,” Bech Gjorv said.
The pilot project will be assembled in Amoyfjorden near Stavanger and is to be located some 10 kilometres offshore Karmoy in the county of Rogaland. The wind turbine itself is to be built by Siemens. Technip will build the floatation element and have responsibility for the installation offshore. Nexans will lay cables to shore, and Haugaland Kraft will be responsible for the landfall.