Neptune Energy, Ørsted Explore Powering North Sea Energy Hubs with Offshore Wind

December 29, 2022, by Nadja Skopljak

Oil and gas company Neptune Energy and offshore wind developer Ørsted have partnered up to explore powering new integrated energy hubs in the UK North Sea with offshore wind-generated electricity.

The two parties and Goal7 have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to examine the potential to supply renewable electricity from Ørsted’s Hornsea offshore wind projects to power future Neptune-operated hubs in the UK North Sea.

According to the partnership, integrated energy hubs have the potential to combine multiple energy systems, including existing oil and gas production assets, carbon storage and hydrogen production facilities and could extend the life of producing fields and support the economic case for electrification with renewable energy, to keep carbon emissions low.

Goal7 is in charge of providing project management support and technical input.

“The development of integrated energy hubs is an important part of Neptune’s strategy to store more carbon than is emitted from our operations and the use of our sold products by 2030,” said Neptune Energy’s Director of New Energy, Pierre Girard.

“Neptune has submitted three applications under the recent Carbon Dioxide Appraisal and Storage Licensing Round, and securing the licences would enable us to develop future proposals for integrated energy hubs in the UK North Sea.”

In December last year, Ørsted, Neptune Energy and Goal7 were awarded £239,000 from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) to fund a study into the potential use of renewable energy to provide power to a gas-producing offshore platform.

The four-month feasibility study investigated the commercial and consenting solutions for establishing an electrical connection between an offshore wind farm and an offshore oil and gas installation.