Equinor and SINTEF have agreed on strategic partnership in four main areas. The fields concerned are offshore wind, marine systems, energy systems and modeling studies relevant to these areas.
SINTEF is the largest partner of Equinor in the field of research and technology development. Now for the first time, the companies have entered into a strategic partnership agreement. The goal of the agreement is to promote the exchange and creation of ideas and radical solutions between the two partners.
The companies will work together on projects that will provide strong value creation and support Equinor’s transformation to a large energy business.
“Equinor and SINTEF have a long history together, but we must continue to look ahead. With this agreement, we can quickly achieve results in areas that are important for the energy transition.”
Sophie Hildebrand, senior vice president of research and technology at Equinor.
One of the areas of collaboration is already well underway: offshore wind – especially floating wind. Equinor has already installed the first floating wind farm in the world, Hywind Scotland, and is constructing the first floating farm in Norway, Hywind Tampen.
The offshore wind partnership between Equinor and SINTEF dates back to the first test of Hywind technology in the Ocean Basin Laboratory of SINTEF in 2005. Looking ahead, it will allow technology advancement that will make future projects cheaper, more effective and more predictable. Among other items, the two partners will look at turbine anchoring systems, repair, control systems and grid connections.
“This agreement is about more than just a collaboration within Norway’s borders. It is about strengthening our global position in areas where Norway has a strong natural and technological advantage. Norway is an energy and maritime nation and could become one of the biggest players within sustainable energy from the ocean.”
Alexandra Bech Gjørv, president and CEO of SINTEF.
In addition to offshore wind, the other collaboration areas are:
- Marine systems that cover challenges related to marine infrastructure, anchorages, risers and underwater pipelines, underwater technology, underwater robotics, safety and the environment.
- Energy systems for the production of renewable energy, including approaches for the storage of renewable energy.
- Modelling, i.e. all sort of modelling studies related to the three other topics.
The duration of the agreement is four years, and it can be prolonged for another four years.
