Subsea contractor targets electrification market for oil & gas through offshore wind

Norwegian subsea contractor Havfram has revealed its goal to become one of the future leaders in the electrification market for oil and gas production assets through offshore wind developments.

The move comes after Havfram changed its name from Ocean Installer back in December 2020 to reflect its increased commitment to offshore wind.

The Norwegian firm now said it had identified oil and gas electrification as one of the next big Power-to-X offshore wind markets and its engineering team is already developing a low-cost offshore wind solution specifically designed for electrifying offshore oil and gas facilities.

“Our strong expertise in O&G, teamed with our growing technical capabilities in offshore wind, is the perfect combination of skills required for O&G electrification projects. Furthermore, we see the demand for electrification increasing globally and are positioning ourselves to meet this demand,” said Odd Strømsnes, Havfram CEO.

According to Havfram, with more than 1,500 active offshore oil and gas platforms globally, requiring between 30 MW and 80 MW of power each, the size of the market for electrification is significant.

The company is in early partnership discussions for the Scottish Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing opportunity that will connect offshore oil and gas with offshore wind.

Developers will apply for the rights to build small-scale innovative offshore wind projects of less than 100 MW, as well as larger projects connected to oil and gas infrastructure to provide electricity and reduce the associated carbon emissions.

“The O&G electrification market offers a significant opportunity to not only deliver necessary carbon reduction solutions but also further accelerate global deployment of offshore wind. We are confident that with our combined skills, Havfram will be a leading player in this increasingly important market,” Emilie Reeve, executive vice president for offshore wind development at Havfram, concluded.

In addition to its offshore wind installation activities, Havfram has also positioned itself as an early phase developer for new markets and is in a consortium with RWE and NTE for the Norwegian floating wind lease Utsira Nord.