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The Netherlands-based exploration and production player ONE-Dyas, together with its partners EBN and Tenaz Energy, has tucked a new decarbonisation milestone under its belt by breathing life into the first natural gas production platform in the Dutch and German sectors of the North Sea to run on offshore wind energy.
The cable connection between ONE-Dyas’ N05-A platform, which is located about 20 kilometres north of the islands of Borkum, Rottumerplaat, and Schiermonnikoog, in the Dutch sector of the North Sea, and the German offshore wind farm Riffgat is now complete and being used to produce natural gas.
As a result, this gas extraction platform is now considered to be the first one powered by offshore wind energy in the Dutch and German North Sea realms, representing a milestone in the energy transition momentum. Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) completed the transport and installation of the N05-A gas platform in the North Sea, which HSM Offshore Energy constructed for ONE-Dyas.
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The project went through years of preparation, several hurdles, a court-ordered temporary halt of operations due to opposition from climate activists, and a provisional ruling, which enabled the operator to move forward with its planned activities for the project.
ONE-Dyas explains that the N05-A platform has been producing natural gas from a single Dutch well for several months now, but drilling of a second well will start soon. The mobile drilling unit that will be temporarily connected to the platform to drill the well has been converted to run on electric power, which is also seen as being unique in this part of the North Sea.
This enables both gas production and drilling activities to take place with minimal C02 emissions, which the operator characterises as a breakthrough in offshore gas projects, as the platform electrification reduces greenhouse gas emissions to virtually zero.