Odfjell Oceanwind, Source Galileo Norge and Vår Energi have started collaborating on a pilot project for floating offshore wind at Goliat.
GoliatVIND is a planned floating offshore wind park connected to the Goliat platform and the existing power cable to shore. The purpose of the project is increased production of renewable energy for electrification in a region that has large and rapidly increasing needs.
– GoliatVIND is exciting because Norwegian offshore wind technology can be demonstrated in a demanding area. Such projects are also crucial to achieve our commitments in the Paris Agreement before 2030, says Gunnar Birkeland, CEO of Source Galileo Norge.
The project is currently in an early phase, where several factors are under investigation before a concept decision and development decision can be made. This includes a regulatory framework, including incentives and licences for development from the authorities.
GoliatVIND is planned with up to 75MW installed capacity, which corresponds to approximately 0.3 TWh of supplied energy to the Hammerfest region in an average year. Currently, five floating wind turbines of 15 MW are planned, five to ten kilometres from the Goliat platform. The area at 71 degrees north, is located approximately 80 km northwest of Hammerfest at a depth of 3-400 meters and is ideal for the design of Odfjell Oceanwind's floating wind foundation Deepsea Star™.
– Odfjell Oceanwind has matured technology and solutions for floating offshore wind that are also qualified for the Barents Sea. In parallel, we have developed a supply chain that can help us realise wind parks of this type. The solutions to be demonstrated on GoliatVIND are standardised and can be used in all locations in the North Atlantic suitable for floating offshore wind. This is therefore a very important project for us, and one that will enable a rapid spread and scaling of the technology both to other projects in Norway and abroad. Systematic work over several years means that we can develop GoliatVIND as early as 2026 if all external factors are in place, says Simen Lieungh, Chairman of the Board of Odfjell Oceanwind.
An important prerequisite for the project to succeed is good coexistence with fisheries interests in the region and that the connection to Goliat does not entail an operational risk for production on the installation. A dialogue with relevant fisheries organisations and technical studies on Goliat have therefore been initiated. For the project to be realised it is also a prerequisite that one manages to make the project profitable for all parties.
– The project enables qualification of solutions and an early investment in the local supplier industry, which are important prerequisites for realising other and bigger offshore wind projects, says Gunnar Birkeland in Source Galileo Norge.
About Goliat
Goliat is an oil field in the Barents Sea, 85 km northwest of Hammerfest. The platform is currently electrified and is supplied with power from shore with a power cable with a capacity of 75 MW. The platform is operated by Vår Energi and Equinor is partner.
About Odfjell Oceanwind and Source Galileo
Odfjell Oceanwind is a Norwegian floating offshore wind specialist that combines Odfjell’s 50 years of maritime tradition and experience in designing, building and operating floating units in harsh environments with more than 20 years of experience in developing floating offshore wind solutions. Odfjell Oceanwind has offices in Bergen, Stavanger, Oslo and Aberdeen.
Source Galileo is a European developer and long-term owner of renewable energy systems, including solar, battery, hydrogen, grid, as well as onshore and offshore wind. Source Galileo Norge has its head office in Haugesund and is responsible for floating offshore wind. The organization of approximately 70 people located in Dublin, London, Milan and Haugesund, have extensive experience in the construction and operation of offshore wind parks.
Odfjell Oceanwind and Source Galileo is developing floating wind projects in Norway and will participate in the competition for seabed lease on Utsira Nord.
Media contact:
Sara Alvsaker
Communication Advisor, Apriil PR Oslo
Tel.: +47 456 34 558
E-mail: sara.alvsaker@apriil.no
