Norway is currently developing the Hywind Tampen project, which will provide power for offshore oil and gas platforms (source: Equinor)
Norway’s offshore wind cluster has welcomed plans announced by the country’s government to set a long-term target for offshore wind, but there was no sign of a near-term target
The Norwegian Government’s new goal of 30 GW of offshore wind by 2040 “is completely in line with what our member companies wanted and can deliver on,” the Norwegian Offshore Wind Cluster told OWJ.
Cluster manager Arvid Nesse said, “This level of ambition means the Norwegian offshore wind industry can take a world-leading position.
“Building a solid domestic market strengthens the supply chain to win international contracts. We are ready to deliver,” said Mr Nesse.
He noted that Norway is a pioneer in the development of floating wind technology. “With the new target,” he said, “that position can be maintained.
“We are very pleased to finally see a clear timeline for offshore wind in Norway and the predictability the industry needs to get started and invest.”
Mr Nesse said the announcement could also lead to better use being made of the Utsira Nord and Sørlige Nordsjø II areas so far allocated to offshore wind development in Norway.
“We have provided input on how we can get more capacity out of these projects, so that we can strengthen the industry by 2025,” Mr Nesse said.
The Norwegian Offshore Wind Cluster represents more than 360 companies in the offshore wind industry and in recent years has experienced what Mr Nesse described as “explosive growth” in the number of its members.
“This industry will create jobs all over the country, in addition to Norwegian consumers getting clean electricity, which will be cheaper with this powerful investment, “said Mr Nesse.
“With high ambitions, profitability also becomes higher, because costs go down when the volume goes up. We can speed up the investment. This is a day of joy for Norwegian industry,” Mr Nesse concluded. “We will once again be world leading in the offshore industry.”
However, not everyone was equally pleased by the announcement. Although it welcomed the 2040 target, the Norwegian Wind Energy Association (NORWEA) noted the government did not set a target for 2030, as it had previously indicated it would.
NORWEA chief executive Åslaug Haga said, “It is important to create predictability for developers and the supply industry. All in all, the announcement from the government is good, but we also need a target for 2030 and clear signals for regular allocations until 2040. New allocations in 2025 should be large and are important to get production in place.”
Ms Haga said Norway should not miss the chance to collaborate with other countries. She noted that on 18 May 2022, the EU Commission will meet with the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Denmark to agree on a common vision for the development of offshore wind in the North Sea.
“From what we have heard, there are no clear signals as to whether the government will seek such co-operation. We must clarify this,” she said.
