Since the early seventies, the Odfjell brand has been synonymous with a strong vision and flair for opportunities offshore. In 1969, Abraham Odfjell stated that he could envision “rigs like beads on a string along the Norwegian coast.” Today we can clearly see the future, and the future is floating wind power.
Odfjell Oceanwind are rewriting the playbook for offshore energy with the Mobile Offshore Wind Unit (MOWU) concept, using floating wind power as a renewable energy source for oil and gas platforms. Together with the WindGrid™ hybrid system, the MOWUs will allow operators to reduce CO₂-emissions by 60-70% compared to power generation from gas turbines only. This is equivalent to the CO₂--savings you would get if you connect the platforms to the European electricity grid.
With MOWUs as a floating wind power supplier, any platform can have a power supply largely independent of fossil fuel, disconnected from the power system onshore and it's ready to be installed now.
The Odfjell legacy
The MOWUs are supported by a strong offshore legacy from Odfjell Drilling, so we reap the benefits of knowledge from the world’s foremost harsh environment offshore drilling contractor.
As a member of the Odfjell family, drawing on fifty years of experience and know-how means that Odfjell Oceanwind has had a head start in the race for commercially viable floating wind solutions.
Tried and tested in The North Sea
So, what is this knowledge and experience that we draw on?
Firstly, it’s knowing how to make an asset perform to the highest demands in the harshest of conditions. The technology and solutions that go into our rigs have been tried and tested in the North Sea off the Norwegian coast since the 1970s.
Odfjell Drilling’s number one position in harsh environment drilling has been manifested several times by our clients selecting the “Deepsea” rigs when they need to face extraordinary challenges, or when the highest performance is needed. One example is Total Energies, choosing to sail the Deepsea Stavanger on two occasions from the North Sea to the Agulhas Current outside South Africa to drill in some of the worst conditions a rig has ever operated.
- See Deepsea Stavanger in Action outside the SA coast (Video)
- See Deepsea Atlantic in the Barents Sea (Video)
It’s also about having the experience to choose a floating structure design that can operate safely and efficiently in harsh environments. Five decades of lessons learned means we know what is important to emphasise in all the inevitable trade-offs that are involved in a hull design process. No rig can perform without a stable foundation, and the skill transfer from many generations of rig designs, and decades of offshore operations, ensures resilience in every structure.
High performance at the right cost
To maximise the performance, while minimising the lifecycle cost, rigs need continuous attention. Odfjell Drilling is a world leader in operating and maintaining floating constructions. This has been proven through operational uptime, and cost efficient special periodic surveys, and operational costs in general.
The foundation for this performance is having the right philosophies and systems in place for QHSE, operations, maintenance, inspections and SPS execution, just to mention some. Odfjell Oceanwind can utilise the insight into these crucial issues to its advantage.
Managing financial risk
In recent years, many (if not most) of Odfjell Drilling’s peers have gone through Chapter 11 processes, destroying billions of dollars in shareholder value. In contrast, Odfjell Drilling has survived these challenging periods, continued to secure work for its rigs, delivered value to its clients, and stayed loyal to commitments towards lenders. This has kept the company out of trouble and is a result of strong work ethic, always striving for the better and not least financial discipline and moderate risk taking.
Therefore, when Odfjell Drilling saw the vast amounts of value that could be transferred from traditional drilling to floating offshore wind, we took inspiration from Abraham Odfjell and ventured into floating wind power. With most of the know-how already in place, the remaining expertise specific for wind power was secured through the investment in Oceanwind AS in 2020.
The drive, the vision and the flair that was a pillar in Odfjell Drilling from the beginning, lives on with Odfjell Oceanwind. Floating offshore wind is a natural continuation of the work Odfjell Drilling has been known for since 1973.
