World’s First Floating Wind Farm Back in Action After Maintenance

October 9, 2024, by Adnan Memija

A heavy maintenance campaign has been completed on Hywind Scotland, the world’s first commercial-scale floating wind farm, with all five turbines now connected.

From operational data, it was previously determined that a heavy maintenance campaign for the wind farm’s five turbines was required.

To complete the campaign, the Siemens Gamesa turbines were towed to Wergeland Base in Gulen, Norway, to undergo maintenance.

According to Equinor, this was the safest, most efficient and proven method, as towing the turbines to the shore allowed the operations to take place in a controlled, sheltered environment.

“As the world’s first floating offshore wind farm, Hywind Scotland has demonstrated the immense potential of floating wind. Through this maintenance campaign, we’ve gained valuable insights that will help us refine maintenance practices and optimise this technology for the future. By sharing our learnings, we aim to contribute to the growth and development of the floating wind industry”, said Trine Ulla, Equinor VP of UK operations.

Located 25 kilometres off the coast of Peterhead, Scotland, Hywind Scotland went live in 2017. The project, owned by Equinor and Abu Dhabi-based renewables developer Masdar, comprises five Siemens Gamesa 6 MW turbines mounted on SPAR-type foundations.

In 2022, as the 30 MW floating wind farm celebrated five years of operation, Equinor said Hywind Scotland was the world’s best-performing offshore wind farm as it achieved a capacity factor of 54 per cent over its five years of operations.