By Arild Gilja.

StatoilHydro's world first Hywind technology project - that aims to make high wind offshore projects more cost effective and competitive in relation to coastal wind farms - is fast nearing testing mode, StatoilHydro spokesman Øistein Johannessen told Offshore.no in an interview.

The result, in the short term, will provide a stunning sight for onlookers in the Norwegian fjords. Longer term the test site could have major rammifications for the wind power industry. 

StatoilHydro late last year announced construction of the world's first full scale floating wind turbine, called 'Hywind', which will cost NOK 400m and be able to produce electricity to 500 homes, said Johannessen, the head of information of new energy in StatoilHydro.

Now the group is on track to commence a crucial two year test period which starts in the autumn.

Massive structure

A 2.3 megawatts wind turbine is to be connected to the head of a buoy which looks like a verticle shaft, in a solution familar from production platforms. The floating wind turbine is to have rotor blades of 80 meters in diameter and the turbine housing will tower 65 meters above the surface of the sea.

"For StatoilHydro this is strictly a test project. It is an investment in technology development, and not a commercial project in this period," Johannessen said.

"It is not the point for us to produce maximum power, which here will be the side effect of the test," Johannessen and stressed that the commercial picture is not of interest in the test period of two years which starts in the autumn.

Two weeks ago a 140 meter long Hywind substructure came to the Åmøy fjord near the southern Norwegian oil capital of Stavanger, where the windmill is to be mounted during the summer.

Stunning sight on the fjords

Soon it is to become an important operation on the Norwegian continental shelf - the world's first floating wind farm offshore.

"Our goal is that we should be able to identify opportunities to cut costs so that our concept of floating wind power can be competitive with fixed windmills of 40 meters depth," said Johannessen.

But StatoilHydro can not estimate precisely when this will happen.

"But we see positive signs around the world ... and feel confident that the market for offshore wind power is coming. But it will take some years yet," he added.

Johannessen says technicials are working to reduce weight and function well with as little downtime as possible. In addition, the mill could be mass produced.

The current prototype will provide 2.3 mw of power, which can provide power to at least 500 homes.

"But we also aim to work with larger turbines that up to 5 mw.

The floating element will go 100 metres under water, while the tower will rise 65 metres up. The rotor blades will will have a diameter of 80 metres. From sea level the creation rise a total of 105 metres into the airr when the rotor wings are at their highest.

The windmill can be placed in water with depths of between 120 metres and 700 metres.

"This is a result of our experience from the shelf. It is a known technology that has been put together in a new way. In this way we will develop our expertise in new energy, " says Johannessen.

"By taking windmills offshore we will open up great opportunities. The wind is stronger and more stable, areas are large and disturbances from from the land mass are less, StatoilHydro says.