Through the state agency Enova, Norway has allocated 3,94 billion Norwegian kroner — about $428 million — to two pilot projects for floating offshore wind power plants.
The funds were distributed between the companies Fortius Offshore Wind AS, which received 2 billion kroner, and Fram Wind Solutions AS, which will receive 1,94 billion kroner.
Each company plans to install two large floating turbines with a capacity of 18,5 MW. All four installations will appear over the next five years at the METCentre test site near the island of Karmøy in the Rogaland region in the southwest of the country.
The expected annual output will be 0,3 TWh — enough for approximately 15 thousand households.
The main goal of the projects is to test and demonstrate new technologies capable of reducing the cost of generating electricity from floating offshore wind.
The selection was competitive: energy output per krone invested, the potential for scaling the technologies, carbon footprint, impact on biodiversity and prospects for further cost reduction were assessed.
Funding will be provided subject to the projects being implemented.
“If they manage to make offshore wind power technology sufficiently profitable, this will be an important step toward faster large-scale deployment of renewable energy,” Enova noted.
How will this step affect future commercial projects in Norway?
