TotalEnergies (XPAR: TTE) has launched a floating wind pilot project to supply renewable power to the Culzean offshore platform in the UK North Sea.
The oil major aims to install a 3MW turbine 2km west of the Culzean platform, 220km off the eastern coast of Scotland. TotalEnergies has previously suggested it would use a Vestas 112 model.
This turbine, expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025 under an ambitious schedule, will supply around 20% of Culzean’s power requirements.
The turbine will be installed on a modular, light semi-submersible floater hull designed by Ocergy, allowing for fast assembly and optimized costs.
The pilot project was selected in Crown Estate Scotland’s Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) leasing round.
Chief technology officer at TotalEnergies Marie-Noelle Semeria said: “This innovative pilot project aims at proving the concept of hybridisation of power generation on an offshore facility, by integrating the generation of renewable electricity from a floating wind turbine with the existing power generation from gas turbines. It also aims at qualifying a promising floater design for the future of floating offshore wind.”
The Culzean electrification project is part of a larger plan from TotalEnergies to cut greenhouse gas emissions from operated facilities to less than 38m tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2025 – down from 17% from 46 million in 2022.
The company is also looking to electrify its Elgin-Franklin, though this project will use electricity from shore rather than a nearby wind turbine.
The Culzean platform suffered a power outage in 2023, forcing 46 workers to leave the North Sea platform. The incident took place during a planned platform shutdown.
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