Pioneering Projects - Talisman Beatrice

An oil platform 12 miles east of Helmsdale on the Caithness coast is set to become a global test case for deep water offshore wind development.

Two 5 MW wind turbines will provide renewable energy for the Beatrice Alpha oil platform operated by Talisman Energy (UK) Limited. To be installed in water over 40 metres deep, close by the Talisman Beatrice Alpha platform, this EUR50 million demonstration project is being hailed as a crucial step forward in deploying offshore wind power. Though considered shallow waters by the standards of the North Sea oil and gas industry, the 40 metre plus depth is a good, if challenging, test bed for the fledgling offshore wind industry.

The Talisman Beatrice experiment came about as a result of Talisman looking for new ways to reduce operating costs, extend the field life of the asset and identify new opportunities for existing oil field infrastructure. With a significant wind resource and an existing grid connection, the Talisman Beatrice Alpha platform 12 miles off the east coast of Caithness was the ideal candidate for this innovative project.

A preliminary study indicated that a large-scale development re-using the main Beatrice infrastructure as a hub could be commercial, but would require further detailed evaluation. The study also showed that a successful development would require a new combination of skills including offshore expertise from the oil and gas industry with that of the utility business. As a result Talisman partnered with Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), a major UK utility, to progress the concept of offshore wind in the Moray Firth.

To access EU funding for the project, Talisman brought together a pan-European consortium of fifteen European companies and research agencies and universities from six countries. The mission of the consortium, known as DOWNVInD (Distant Offshore Windfarms with No Visual Impact in Deepwater), is to be a catalyst for commercialising deepwater wind farm technology.

Unlike most other platforms, Beatrice is supplied with electricity via a sub sea cable connected to the National Grid; the daily electricity demand amounts to approximately 14MW. The electricity generated by the two wind turbines, estimated to average 3.6 MW daily, will help reduce the oil platform’s demand for electricity.

The turbines will be decommissioned along with the oil field infrastructure, once the turbines and field become uneconomic to produce.

Assuming DTI consent is forthcoming, the turbines will be installed in the third quarter of 2006. Thereafter, information gathered during the five years of operation will be used to examine the commercial viability of a larger scale deep water wind farm.

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