TotalEnergies to test floating wind’s ability to decarbonise offshore operations
TotalEnergies is to undertake a pilot project on the Culzean platform to assess the ability of floating wind turbines to provide offshore installations with green power
The company plans to install a 3-MW floating wind turbine 2 km west of the Culzean platform, 220 km off the east coast of Scotland.
The turbine will be installed on a modular, lightweight, semi-submersible floater designed by Ocergy, allowing for fast assembly and optimised costs.
The turbine, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025, will supply around 20% of the Culzean platform’s power requirement, reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
TotalEnergies chief technology officer Marie-Noele Semeria said, “This innovative pilot project aims to prove the concept of hybridisation of power generation on an offshore facility, integrating generation of renewable electricity from a floating wind turbine with power generation from gas turbines. Another aim is to qualify a promising floater design.
The pilot project was one of a number selected in Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas leasing round, designed to encourage and support the use of offshore wind energy to directly supply offshore oil and gas platforms.
