Norwegian energy firm Statoil intends to make a final investment decision for a 30MW floating wind power development, offshore Scotland, during September this year.
Statoil spokesman Morten Eek was cited by Reuters as saying that the firm has been considering setting up five floating turbines at water depth of around 100m, off the coast of Aberdeen.
Each of the turbines is expected to have a generation capacity of 6MW.
Statoil has been planning to use Siemens turbines for the project, which feature 75m-long long blades and is expected to increase the efficiency of the floating farm.
Since 2009, the firm has been operating a single floating offshore turbine, Hywind, in Norway.
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By GlobalDataThe turbine is mounted on a ballasted vertical steel cylinder and anchored to the seabed. It features a Statoil-developed navigation system, which ensures that it stays in position.
Eek said: "We’ve seen that the technology is working and is able to withstand winter storms.
"We see potential in the Hywind concept to compete cost-wise with the bottom-fixed foundation at 30m water depth and deeper."
Statoil started a separate business division in May this year, which focuses on low-carbon and renewable energy and allows the company to diversify its energy portfolio dependent on oil and gas production.
Eek said that the company has also been carrying out a feasibility study for Japanese floating wind farm.
Image: Hywind, being assembled in the Åmøy Fjord near Stavanger, Norway in 2009, before deployment in the North Sea. Photo: courtesy of Lars Christopher / Wikipedia.