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“We are committed to offshore wind power be -<br />
cause we want to use our expertise and background<br />
to create value where we have a competitive<br />
edge”, said Margareth Øvrum during<br />
Statoil’s energy seminar in Bergen. Statoil’s<br />
executive vice president for Technology & New<br />
Energy held a presentation at the company’s<br />
energy seminar last month. “It is characteristic<br />
of Statoil that we use our experience and innovative<br />
ability to solve new challenges”, said<br />
Øvrum and mentioned the company’s history<br />
as a pioneer in developing, testing and adopting<br />
new technology. Statoil’s offshore expertise<br />
forms the foundation for the company’s commitment<br />
to offshore wind energy. “as a company<br />
we have considerable expertise which can also be<br />
used in the offshore wind sector”, said Øvrum.<br />
“This applies to everything from challenges associated<br />
with turbines, anchoring and modelling<br />
to seabed surveys.” Tough weather conditions<br />
require a focus on health, safety and the environment<br />
during the installation, operation and<br />
maintenance of offshore wind farms. Statoil has<br />
a lot of experience of building facilities and running<br />
marine operations in rough weather, and<br />
of engineering and developing complex projects.<br />
The company has knowledge and experience<br />
of how wind and weather can affect structures.<br />
It is also experienced in remotely controlled<br />
operations.“In addition we have experience of<br />
energy trading which makes it possible for us to<br />
realise the value of the wind power we generate”,<br />
said Øvrum at the conference.<br />
winds of change<br />
By 2020, 20 percent of the energy in the European<br />
Union will be renewable and wind power<br />
is expected to account for half of this growth.<br />
Offshore wind power is expected to grow by<br />
20 percent annually. The UK stands out as<br />
the most attractive market by far. The country<br />
has 40 percent of Europe’s wind resources and<br />
advantageous water depths. It also faces a big<br />
challenge when it comes to energy supplies and<br />
to meeting its commitments to renewables in<br />
the energy market. The UK has therefore established<br />
good and predictable frame conditions for<br />
offshore wind power. Statoil is now gradually<br />
building up a wind energy portfolio. “This will<br />
give us the opportunity to learn and develop the<br />
appropriate expertise, just like we have done in<br />
the field of oil and gas”, adds Øvrum.<br />
Prices must fall<br />
Wind energy entails a different type of risk<br />
management than hydrocarbons but health,<br />
safety and the environment are naturally in the<br />
spotlight. and wind energy is to a greater degree<br />
characterised by standard solutions and mass<br />
production. But to ensure profitability without<br />
subsidies, the technologies have to be optimised<br />
and improved and the costs need to be reduced.<br />
Eighty per cent of the costs in generating wind<br />
energy are associated with investments and<br />
that is why Statoil has a particular focus on<br />
development costs. “It’s particularly important<br />
to make lighter and larger turbines which are<br />
specially adapted to offshore wind”, Øvrum said.<br />
Such turbines will provide greater regularity.<br />
lower weight also makes both the turbine and<br />
the installation less expensive. Øvrum is also<br />
pleased to affirm that there will be increased<br />
competition among the turbine suppliers and she<br />
hopes to see more suppliers. Not only because<br />
this will strengthen competitiveness but also<br />
because it is important that there is sufficient<br />
capacity in the market. Many large wind energy<br />
projects are being assessed at present. “If the<br />
big ambitions are to be fulfilled, the industry is<br />
dependent on a reduction in costs”, said Øvrum.<br />
Below are ongoing projects which Statoil are<br />
heavily involved in;<br />
Sheringham Shoal<br />
» Wind farm with 88 turbines being built by<br />
Statoil and Statkraft off the UK east coast<br />
» Construction started offshore on 9 March.<br />
The Nordnes vessel began placing rocks at<br />
locations on the field, in preparation for the<br />
installation of the structures next month.<br />
Work on land began last year<br />
» Start-up is planned for late 2011<br />
LATEST NEwS, EvENTS, jObS ONLINE – www.PETrOLPLAzA.COM<br />
wINd FArMS<br />
Statoil make the case for wind farms<br />
source: statoil image bank, www.statoil.com<br />
dogger bank<br />
» When fully developed it can be the world’s<br />
largest wind power development and cover<br />
about 10 percent of the UK’s total electricity<br />
demand<br />
» lies in deeper water and further from shore<br />
than existing wind parks: 125 – 195 kilometres<br />
from land, at depths of 18 – 63 metres<br />
» Surveys and planning required for the approval<br />
process are getting under way. The<br />
first investment decisions can be taken in<br />
2014 at the earliest<br />
» Statoil has been awarded wind licences<br />
together with Statkraft, Scottish and<br />
Southern Energy (SSE) and RWE npower<br />
Hywind<br />
» The world’s first full-scale, floating wind<br />
turbine<br />
» The Hywind pilot started gathering data<br />
off Karmøy near Stavanger last autumn<br />
and is now producing at full capacity.<br />
One million kilowatt-hours of electricity<br />
have already been generated<br />
» Hywind has attracted a lot of attention<br />
both in Norway and internationally. We<br />
have signed a letter of intent with the<br />
governor of Maine, USa, to examine the<br />
possibility for a medium-sized wind park<br />
there. We also have a dialogue with the<br />
Scottish autho rities about the opportunities<br />
for floating wind power in Scotland<br />
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