Vår Energi has entered into a collaboration with Odfjell Oceanwind and Source Galileo to pursue a pilot project for floating offshore wind at Goliat.
The Goliat platform is currently electrified and is supplied with power from shore through a power cable with a capacity of 75 MW. The purpose of the project, which is called GoliatVind, is to use the cable as infrastructure for electricity to the mainland and increased renewable power generation in Finnmark.
GoliatVind is a pilot project to demonstrate new, Norwegian offshore wind technology and can contribute to further electrification in a time of increased demand for renewable power.
The project is currently in an early phase, and multiple factors are being studied before a concept selection and a development decision can be made. This covers regulatory framework conditions, including incentives and a development licence from the authorities.
The preliminary plan is to build three to five floating wind turbines at Goliat, each with a capacity of 15 MW. This means that GoliatVind may contribute up to 75 MW of installed capacity, depending on the project’s scope. Current operations on Goliat require about 50 MW. Regardless of the scope, the project can increase overall power generation in the Hammerfest region.
Vegard Bruaset, Vår Energi’s VP Barents Sea Area, explains:
'The Government has decided that all parts of society must be electrified to reach Norway’s climate targets. This requires the development of new renewable power generation. Vår Energi is exploring opportunities to make the power cable and necessary capacity on the platform available precisely to contribute to this. Odfjell Oceanwind and Source Galileo will be the developer and owner. Vår Energi has no plans to enter into commercial or operational commitments in the wind park.'
One 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. Dialogue with relevant fisheries organisations and technical studies on Goliat have therefore been initiated.
'Vår Energi aspires to be a leader in ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) and a preferred partner on the Norwegian shelf. We believe that GoliatVind can help bolster these ambitions if the project is realised, Bruaset concludes.'
Goliat, operated by Vår Energi with Equinor as partner, came on stream in 2016 and has been supplied with power from shore since the start. This reduces CO2 emissions by 300,000 tonnes annually, the equivalent of emissions from 100,000 cars.
The company aims to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions from its own production (scope 1) by 50% by 2030, compared with the 2005 level.
Source: Vår Energi
