DEME Offshore has signed an agreement with Equinor to study floating concrete substructures for groundbreaking Hywind Tampen floating wind farm

DEME Offshore has signed an agreement with Equinor, a world leading pioneer in floating wind power, to undertake a study examining potential floating concrete substructures for the planned Hywind Tampen wind farm project in the North Sea off Norway's coast. With DEME Offhore’s market expertise and vast track record in the offshore renewables industry, the company aims to be at the forefront of developments relating to floating offshore wind technology. The agreement was signed early December 2018 with a five-month duration, and the study is a part of the engineering works before the final investment decision.

The scope of the front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract is to mature and optimise the design and construction methodology for 11 concrete substructures including secondary steel outfitting, mooring arrangement and project executing strategy.

Equinor successfully commissioned the world’s first 30 MW, floating offshore wind farm in Scotland in 2017. Hywind Tampen is expected to be the world’s first offshore wind farm powering existing oil platforms. The wind farm will consist of 11, 8 MW turbines which will meet about 35% of the annual power demand of the Snorre and Gullfaks oil and gas platforms. 

Bart De Poorter, General Manager DEME Offshore, comments: “At DEME Offshore we are confident that floating wind energy has the potential to play a key role in the future energy mix. With our vast track record in providing innovative solutions for the offshore energy market and our extensive EPCI experience in major offshore wind projects, we aim to be at the forefront of this emerging industry. The Hywind Tampen project is considered to be a milestone for the floating offshore wind industry and we are excited to be involved in this challenging project to further broaden our technological capabilities.”

DEME is a world leader in the highly specialised fields of dredging, marine engineering and environmental remediation. The company can build on more than 140 years of know-how and experience and has fostered a pioneering approach throughout its history, being a front-runner in innovation and new technologies.

DEME’s vision is to work towards a sustainable future by offering solutions for global challenges: a rising sea level, a growing population, reduction of CO2 emissions, polluted rivers and soils and the scarcity of natural resources. Although DEME’s activities originated with the core dredging business, the portfolio diversified substantially over the decades, including dredging and land reclamation, solutions for the offshore energy market, infra marine solutions and environmental solutions.

While the company’s roots are in Belgium, DEME has built a strong presence in all of the world’s seas and continents, operating in more than 90 countries worldwide. DEME can rely on 5,200 highly skilled professionals across the globe. With a versatile and modern fleet of over 100 vessels, backed by a broad range of auxiliary equipment, the company can provide solutions for even the most complex projects.
DEME achieved a turnover of 2.65 billion euros in 2018.