Heerema Marine Contractors Installs North Sea Gas Platform Powered by Offshore Wind Energy

Heerema Marine Contractors has successfully installed a gas platform in the North Sea, part of the N05-A gas field project operated by ONE-Dyas, a Dutch exploration and production company. This platform will be the first in the region to be fully powered by offshore wind energy, marking a significant step towards integrating renewable energy into traditional gas production.

The platform will receive its power from the Riffgat offshore wind farm in Germany, which has a capacity of 113.4 MW.

The N05-A gas field was discovered in August 2017, and after several years of planning and securing permits, ONE-Dyas, along with partners Hansa Hydrocarbons and EBN, made the final investment decision in September 2022.

The project involves a substantial investment of over €500 million and aims to produce between 4.5 to 13 billion Nm3 of gas from the field and surrounding prospects.

The installation of the platform was completed on August 8, 2023, using Heerema’s semi-submersible crane vessel, Sleipnir. This complex operation was supported by Clarksons Port Services, whose team in Eemshaven coordinated the logistics, including crew transfers and helicopter flights, ensuring the smooth execution of the installation process.

HSM Offshore Energy was responsible for constructing the N05-A platform at their Schiedam yard, with the topside completed in April 2023. The construction process also involved other key contractors such as Allseas and N-Sea, who contributed to various stages of the platform’s development. The platform is expected to begin gas production by the end of the year.

While there are other platforms in the North Sea utilizing wind energy, the N05-A platform stands out as the first to be entirely powered by it. This is in contrast to projects like the Hywind Tampen floating wind farm in Norway, which only covers a portion of the power needs for nearby oil and gas platforms. The N05-A project represents a pioneering effort in the full integration of renewable energy into offshore gas production.