Statoil has awarded a contract to Isleburn Limited in North of Scotland for providing the suction anchors to the world’s first floating wind farm: The Hywind pilot park offshore Peterhead in Aberdeenshire.
The unique floating wind park marks an important step forward for offshore wind technology, and potentially opens attractive new markets for renewable energy production worldwide.
Isleburn Limited, part of Global Energy Group, will provide 15 suction anchors to the project to be delivered in the beginning of 2017. The contract will provide work both in the Inverness area and in Aberdeen.
“Statoil is proud to develop the world’s first floating wind farm. We are pleased to develop this project in Scotland, with a huge wind resource and an experienced supply chain from oil and gas,” says Stephen Bull, Statoil’s senior vice president for Offshore Wind.
“We are very pleased with the contract awarded to Isleburn. The suction anchors represent important components in this innovative project. The Hywind pilot park confirms the UK and Scotland’s position at the forefront of developing offshore wind as a competitive new energy source,” says Bull.
Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, says:
“Isleburn and Global Energy Group have used their experience from the oil and gas sector to be awarded this contract award. We continue to work closely with Statoil to ensure that other Scottish companies can also benefit from this project and to learn lessons for the future. We want to position Scotland as a world leader in this area as we look to utilise floating wind technology to unlock the deeper offshore sites.”
Isleburn is one of Scotland’s manufacturers of products to a range of energy sectors. The fabrication of the suction anchors will take place in Isleburn’s facilities at Nigg Energy Park, starting in Q1 2016 with delivery in Q1 2017.
Statoil will install a 30 MW wind turbine farm on floating structures at Buchan Deep, 25 km offshore Peterhead, harnessing Scottish wind resources to provide renewable energy to the mainland. The wind farm will power around 20,000 households. Production start is expected in late 2017.
Statoil’s onshore operation and maintenance base will be located in Peterhead, also drawing on resources from Statoil’s existing office in Aberdeen.