Norwegian Center to Host Three Floating Wind Demos to Advance Technology
Three companies have signed up with Norway’s Marine Energy Test Center for demonstrations of floating wind turbine technologies. The center highlights it is the only place in the world for testing on a large scale and the aim is to reduce the costs of floating offshore wind technology which is viewed as critical in the next phase of expansion of offshore renewable energy.
Many locations around the world, including Norway, Japan, and the West Coast of the United States, will require floating technology to advance offshore wind energy power generation. The seabed topography and water depths require floating installation to harness the energy potential of these locations. However, the technology remains costly and has only been applied in a few advanced sites.
The METCentre is located off the West Coast of Norway and is already hosting projects including the Hywind 2.3 MW demo and a 3.6 MW Siemens Gamesa turbine as part of the TetraSpar platform. Last year the center received approval to expand its test area with up to four new test sites. The three new agreements call for the demonstration of floaters of 15 MW or greater capacity turbines. Detailers were not released because the next test projects are still competing for funding from Norway’s ENOVA a state-sponsored initiative to advance renewable energy projects.
“This is very good news for innovation in floating offshore wind,” said Arvid Nesse, head of METCentre and Norwegian Wind Offshore, a trade group to support the development of the wind supply chain. “We are the only place in the world ready with permits to test projects of this capacity. If we are to get floating wind offshore started in Norway without further delays, it must begin at METCentre.”
Nesse highlights that the goal is to gain important knowledge from both the construction and operation of these large-scale wind turbines. They believe this will help the industry to realize important cost savings and also help Norway to develop leadership in the sector.
They also highlight that the test location is close to the Utsira Nord area, which the Norwegian government has designated as one of the country’s first offshore wind sites. Norway completed an auction for a fixed-bottom location but delayed the tender for Utsira Nord to 2025. Details are expected to be announced shortly for the tender.
The Norwegian government in its 2025 budget plans to provide $3.3 billion in subsidies in a scheme to help support the development of floating wind technology. Floating wind is expected to play a critical role in the government’s target to allocate 30 GW of offshore wind power production by 2040.
Norwegian Government Moves Forward with $3.3B Floating Wind Subsidy
The Norwegian government in its 2025 budget proposals released today confirmed that it will move forward with an earlier plan to provide roughly $3.3 billion for a proposed support scheme for floating offshore wind. Norway looks to propel the development of floating technology which is expected to play a critical part of its ambition to allocate 30 GW of offshore wind power production by 2040.
“Norway has an enormous potential for floating offshore wind on its continental shelf, but because the technology remains immature and costly, state support is required to accelerate its development. That is why we are proposing an ambitious support scheme. The support scheme will enable the delivery of more power to Norway and pave the way for a new industrial adventure,” said Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland.
According to the government, the scheme must contribute significantly to the development of floating offshore wind. The concept for the scheme was initially agreed to in June 2024 after Norway had several stops and starts as it worked to develop an agreement on the government’s role in supporting the sector. Norway announced plans for its first two wind auctions in March 2023, only to defer the efforts as the government was still debating policy and then only proceeding with one, a fixed-bottom site, in March 2024.
The first auction was for the Sorlige Nordsjo II site in the North Sea, which will be one of the few in Norway to use fixed-bottom turbines. It was a strongly contested auction that saw the investment arm of Ingka Group, based in the Netherlands and the largest Ikea franchiser, and Parkwind, majority-owned Japan’s Jera, a partnership between Tokyo Electric Power Company and Chubu Electric Company with the project. It calls for power generation by 2030.
The second site, Utsira Nord was delayed but has also attracted strong interest. Reuters reports 13 groups and individual companies have expressed interest.
The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has also been tasked with conducting a strategic impact assessment of 20 areas that may be suitable for the development of offshore wind. The strategic impact assessment of the areas Vestavind F, Vestavind B, and Sørvest F will be completed by November this year. The strategic impact assessment for the remaining 17 areas will be completed in June 2025.
Vestavind B and F are seen as two of the most promising projects. Each has an estimated potential for 1 GW of power generation. The B site is located north of Bergen while F is further south closer to Stavanger. Located in the Norwegian Sea, both will be floating wind sites.
“The continued development of offshore wind in Norway requires access to suitable areas. The government's goal for offshore wind is industrial development, and I am pleased to see that our supply chain companies are eager to get started,” said Aasland.
With plans agreed for the structure of the auctions and the government support program, Norway plans to announce details on its next auction for 2025. After that, it intends to conduct regularly scheduled tender rounds as it moves toward the 2040 goals.
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