Offshore deepwater turbine starts generating electricity

CALGARY, Alberta, Canada, May 16, 2007. The largest offshore deepwater wind turbine has started to generate power in the North Sea.

The 5 MW turbine will generate electricity for the Beatrice windfarm demonstrator project, 25 km off the east coast of Scotland. A second turbine will be installed nearby this summer to complete the project.

The 85 m turbine was installed by Talisman Energy (UK) Limited, a subsidiary of Talisman Energy of Canada, in a joint venture with Scottish & Southern Energy. The project is a key component of DOWNViND (Distant Offshore Wind Farms No Visual Impact iN Deepwater).

DOWNViND includes 18 organisations from six European countries and is one of the European Community's largest renewable energy research and development programs. The objective is to ensure that Europe is well positioned to take a global lead in developing deepwater offshore windfarms.

Funding was provided by a variety of organisations, including Euro 6 million from the European Community, £3 million from the Scottish Executive and £3 million from the UK’s Department for Trade & Industry. The balance of funding came from Talisman and SSE, augmented by contributions in kind from many of the participants.

“We are making history with the first electricity being generated by this offshore deepwater turbine,” says Jim Buckee of Talisman Energy. “This achievement is a huge milestone in the DOWNViND project.”

“We look forward to installing the second turbine this summer in order that the demonstrator project can become fully operational and, in doing so, help prolong the life of the Beatrice oil field,” he explains. “It is an inspiring example of the interface that is possible between the oil and gas business and the renewable energy industry.”

The feasibility of large scale offshore windfarm developments will be assessed over time, and will establish the technical performance and economic viability of large scale developments. Only when this analysis has been completed will Talisman examine the potential for a large scale offshore windfarm.

Talisman Energy is an independent upstream oil and gas company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with operations in Canada and subsidiaries in the North Sea, south east Asia, Australia, North Africa, the United States and Trinidad & Tobago.

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