The Norwegian Energy Commission calls for the quick approval of Equinor’s plans for a huge floating wind farm 65 kilometers off the coast of Kollsnes (near Bergen). The project called Trollvind is a collaboration between Equinor and partners Petoro, TotalEnergies, Shell and ConocoPhillips.
The objective is to have 1 GW of installed capacity by 2027 to provide power to the Troll and Oseberg oil fields. The wind farm would be connected to the mainland, which would allow it to deliver power to the Bergen area.
The Energy Commission was created by Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in February 2022. Its mandate was to assess energy needs and propose solutions for increased energy production. The aim is that Norway should continue to have surplus production of power and that Norwegian electricity customers should still have ample access to renewable power.
Other conclusions about offshore wind
In other recommendations, the Commission calls for the development of offshore wind along the entire coast of Norway. It states that the government must quickly deploy more resources to map the continental shelf’s flora and fauna before new areas are opened.
About the Sørlige Nordsjø II area, where sea depths allow for bottom-fixed wind turbines, the Commission states that the first projects must be offered long-term agreements, with a mechanism to reduce risks to early developers.
About the Utsira Nord area, where sea depths are more suited to floating wind turbines, the Commission concludes that the first projects will need government support, and that those that can be deployed quickly should get the priority.
Offshore grid
The Commission also points out that a long-term and comprehensive plan should be drawn up for the further development of offshore wind and the offshore grid that will be required to connect it. The plan must take account the extensive development that is planned in the long term. Planning land connections to mainland Norway will have to take into consideration existing grid infrastructure on land. The plan will also need to take into account how much floating and bottom-fixed capacity the offshore grid should be able to accommodate.
The Commission estimates that a realistic goal for 2030 should be to have 5 to 20 TWh of electricity production from offshore wind.
You can read the entire Report from the Energy Commission (in Norwegian) on the Norwegian government’s website.
