The world’s first full-scale floating wind turbine – StatoilHydro’s Hywind pilot – was officially inaugurated in the North Sea, 8 September.
StatoilHydro is investing about $57.4m in the project, with Enova providing $9.9m. The latter is a state-owned company which promotes environment-friendly changes to energy production and use in Norway.
Hywind comprises a 2.3-megawatt wind turbine installed on a traditional floater of the kind previously used for such applications as production platforms and offshore loading.
The turbine has been manufactured by the Siemens Wind Power company in Denmark, while France’s Technip built the floater and Nexans produced and laid the power cable to land.
Following assembly in the Åmøy Fjord near Stavanger, the Hywind pilot was towed in June to a location 10 kilometres south-west of Karmøy island for a two-year test period.