Isleburn to deliver 15 suction anchors to Statoil’s Hywind pilot park project

Scottish energy group Isleburn has secured a contract form Norwegian company Statoil to deliver 15 suction anchors to Hywind pilot park, located offshore Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

During the construction of the project, Statoil will install a 30MW wind turbine on a floating structure.

Claimed to be the world’s first floating wind farm, it is expected to become operational in 2017 and will supply power to approximately 20,000 households.

Isleburn will manufacture the suction anchors at its Nigg Energy Park facility.

Statoil offshore wind senior vice-president Stephen Bull said: "We are pleased to develop this project in Scotland, with a huge wind resource and an experienced supply chain from oil and gas.

"The suction anchors represent important components in this innovative project.

"The Hywind pilot park confirms the UK and Scotland’s position at the forefront of developing offshore wind as a competitive new energy source."

Statoil will invest around NOK2bn ($23m) in Hywind wind farm project, which will cover about 4 km² of sea area.

Statoil will take support from various local parties while carrying out the project.

Statoil new energy solutions executive vice-president Irene Rummelhoff said: "Our objective with the Hywind pilot park is to demonstrate the feasibility of future commercial, utility-scale floating wind farms.

"This will further increase the global market potential for offshore wind energy, contributing to realising our ambition of profitable growth in renewable energy and other low-carbon solutions."

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Image: Statoil will install a 30MW wind turbine on a floating structure. Photo: courtesy of Global Energy Holdings Ltd