Athens, 2 December 2024 – The Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA) has received further funding by EEA Grants (funding period 2014-2021), which represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway towards a green, competitive, and inclusive Europe.
The funding pertains to the project ”Offshore safety regulations in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Offshore Wind Farms (OWF), and insights into cutting-edge technologies and solutions in the floating offshore wind market tailored to the Greek conditions.” It will run for four months (November 2024 – February 2025) and aims at leveraging existing expertise and best practices used to implement CCS and offshore wind projects – especially with regard to offshore safety.
This is the second HEREMA project to be funded by EEA Grants, aiming yet again to transfer Norwegian know-how to developing energy sectors critical to the green transition.
Given that CCS involves cutting-edge technology, introduced to the country for the first time with the Prinos CO2 Storage project, Greece is preparing for the multi-faceted process of licensing and monitoring underground gas storage operations – with safety constituting a key aspect of said process. In that context, to implement this ”Offshore safety regulations” project HEREMA collaborates with the Norwegian consulting company Det Norske Veritas (DNV), which carries significant experience in developing regulatory frameworks for CCS technology – as Norway is a pioneer of the sector with a series of prominent projects, such as Sleipner, Snøhvit and Northern Lights. Moreover, it has also compiled the updated Guidance Documents for the implementation of the EU CCS Directive.
In addition, as the National Programme for the Development of Offshore Wind Farms is gearing towards implementation, the need arises for targeted planning and strategic initiatives to ensure that Greece is well prepared for the upcoming developments in floating offshore wind technology. Hence, it was deemed necessary to collaborate with the Norwegian Institute SINTEF Ocean, which is active and innovating at this technology.
The partnership agreement with DNV includes the drafting of guidelines for safety regulations at offshore facilities (CCS and OWF), while the collaboration with SINTEF Ocean pertains to assessing emerging technologies and solutions in the floating offshore wind sector, adjusted to conditions in Greece.