Norway funds Odfjell Oceanwind's floating offshore wind units to cut oil emissions

Government fund awards €1 million pre-project grant for wind units capable of integration with oil and gas installations

by Nadia Weekes 18 August 2021

An artist's impression of what Siemens Gamesa's 11MW turbine might look like on Odfjell Oceanwind's floating offshore wind platform

Odfjell Oceanwind has been awarded a NOK 10 million (€1 million) pre-project grant to support commercialisation of its floating mobile offshore wind units (MOWUs), which would be used to electrify oil and gas installations.

The grant from the Norwegian government’s fund for innovative energy technologies – Enova – could be used to part-finance the building of Odfjell Oceanwind’s first MOWUs and their integration into oil and gas installations on the Norwegian continental shelf.

The MOWUs are based on Siemens Gamesa’s 11MW offshore wind turbines and Odfjell Oceanwind’s semi-submersible WindGrid system for integrating the MOWUs into the power system of the host platforms.

The WindGrid will allow gas turbines on the host platform to be stopped when wind power is being generated, enabling an estimated 60-70% reduction in the CO2 emissions produced on the oil and gas platform, Odfjell Oceanwind claimed.

It explained that it would rent the platforms to clients. The platform is designed for quick installation and decommissioning, so it can be moved to the next location, reusing all assets.

Odfjell Oceanwind plans to start engineering and planning later this year, providing a foundation for an investment decision. It aims to connect the first MOWUs to oil and gas installations in 2024.

“This award marks another milestone on our roadmap towards commercial floating wind power, and will be an important enabler for us and our customers to progress the first MOWU contracts for oil and gas installations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf,” said Odfjell Oceanwind chief executive Per Lund. 

He said the MOWU solution would offer “an attractive alternative to expensive and controversial electrification by use of shore power cables”.

Enova explained that it is important to develop technologies that facilitate the transition to a low-emission society. 

“There are still a number of technological challenges associated with floating offshore wind, and for Enova it is important to support studies to form a good basis for decision-making so that Odfjell Oceanwind can test and further develop technologies for floating offshore wind,” said Oskar Gärdemann, Enova’s marketing manager for industry.