Norway-based NorSea Group's Stordbase is to be used to assemble the world's first floating wind farm, the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park under a US$5.8-8.1 million (NOK 50-70 million) contract.
The contract, which enters starts 1 March 2016, comprises the preparation and adaptation of the Stord base as the assembly base for five full-scale sea wind turbines.
It also includes the construction of foundations, unloading of 20 wind turbine sections and all associated components, establishment of a mooring area for substructures, indoor storage facilities and inspection of the fully installed wind turbines.
NorSea Group will also be responsible for board for 80 people during the main phase of the project, from 1 January – 30 June 2017.
The wind farm will have a capacity totaling 30 MW when fully established off the eastern coast of Scotland. Each wind turbine will have a total height of approximately 170m, with turbine blades of 77m.
"NorSea Group is very grateful and proud to have been awarded this crucial contract from Statoil. We want to be a preferred supplier of integrated services to the supplier industry and wind farm owners in the offshore wind market. This contract will therefore be a key step in our strategy of offering cost-effective solutions to the renewable energy market," says John E. Stangeland, Group CEO of NorSea Group.
For a number of years, NSG has been working on developing the Stord base into an efficient location for the installation of sea wind turbines. Completed studies show that the Stord base has massive potential as a future national facility for floating offshore wind. This is mainly due to the unique combination of deep water harbors with proximity to offshore competence and existing infrastructure.
"Being awarded this contract in the face of strong competition from other installation base alternatives reaffirms that our long-term work on identifying optimal solutions for the utilization of the Stord base for floating offshore wind has been correct," says Director of Market and Business Development, Kenneth Bjørholm, who is responsible for the wind turbine investments on the Stord base. "We are incredibly proud to partake in this journey together with the Statoil Hywind organization."