Equinor has confirmed the Hywind Tampen floating offshore windfarm will not now be completed until early 2023
Equinor said supply chain bottlenecks – most notably relating to the global market for steel – will preclude delivery of the final four tower sections for the turbines for the floating windfarm, the world’s largest, until September 2022.
This will be too late for the turbines to be completed and installed this year as originally planned, so installation of the remaining quartet of turbines has been postponed until early 2023.
Equinor said Siemens Gamesa, the supplier of towers, nacelles and blades for the wind turbines, subjects all of the components to rigid quality control measures and deviations in steel quality in four tower sections have been identified. Corrective action has been implemented.
However, because the steel market is so difficult currently, delivery has been delayed. Siemens Gamesa is working closely with its suppliers and Equinor to expedite deliveries.
Equinor said the seven turbines that have already been assembled have been thoroughly tested and meet quality criteria.
Hywind Tampen project director Olav-Bernt Haga said, “Seven turbines have been assembled and four have been installed. The plan is to start production during the year and supply electricity first to Gullfaks and then to the Snorre field.”
Once Hywind Tampen is complete, it will be the world’s largest floating offshore windfarm and the first to supply electricity to oil and gas platforms.
The windfarm will have a capacity of 88 MW and is expected to meet 35% of the electrical power demand on the Gullfaks and Snorre fields.
