Equinor and Technip Energies hail 'unique synergies' as floating wind pact sealed

Norwegian energy giant and French contractor to co-operate on development of steel substructures

The first Hywind Tampen turbine.
The first Hywind Tampen turbine.Foto: Equinor

Equinor and Technip Energies signed a floating wind collaboration agreement that cements a growing alliance in the sector between the Norwegian energy giant and French contractor.

The two companies will co-operate to develop steel floating wind substructures, teaming up early in the design phase of a project in a bid to accelerate industrialisation of the fast-growing technology, said a statement announcing the deal.

Equinor and Technip Energies are already working together in floating after the former hired the contractor to work on developing foundations for the 800MW Firefly floating wind project off South Korea, on track to be the world’s largest deepwater array.

Laure Mandrou, senior vice president carbon-free solutions at Technip Energies, said the new agreement creates “unique synergies by combining Technip Energies’ and Equinor’s respective experiences in the development of core technologies and the delivery of groundbreaking projects”.

Equinor senior vice president for renewables solutions Beate Myking added that it “allows us to further leverage and develop our floating toolbox to customise locally adapted industrial solutions for future floating offshore wind projects”.

Technip Energies was an early mover in the floating wind space, developing an innovative design in the 2010s called the VertiWind, before withdrawing from the sector. The transitioning oil & gas contactor then returned last year – as Recharge reported exclusively – with plans for the INO15 concept.
Equinor pioneered floating wind globally using its spar platform on the Hywind Demo and later 30MW Hywind Scotland, the world’s first commercial deepwater wind array, brought online in 2015. The Wind Semi, a lower-draft steel three-column semisubersible, was launched at COP26 last year.
Equinor is currently deploying the Hywind Tampen array off Norway that will become the world's largest floating project at 88MW.
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Published 16 June 2022, 14:24Updated 16 June 2022, 14:28
OffshoreEquinorTechnip EnergiesEuropeTechnology