On Thursday 29 September, SINTEF Research Manager Christian Andresen gave a presentation on behalf of FME NorthWind, entitled Nordsjøens rolle i energiomstillingen (“The role of the North Sea in the energy transition”).
The presentation was part of a joint symposium organised by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (DNVA) and the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences (NTVA), called Energisituasjonen i Europa – hva nå? (“The energy situation in Europe – what now?”).
Clean renewable electricity is a prerequisite for a successful transition to a zero-emissions society. The power mix in Norway is currently dominated by hydropower, with power occasionally imported from abroad. Easy access to electricity has been essential for national welfare and growth – and can give Norway a competitive advantage in the future. However, in recent years, there has been less surplus power and higher prices.
Christian’s presentation focused on the North Sea as a relatively untapped energy source with the potential to be a key driver of the green transition, with a particular focus on offshore wind.
Both Norway and Europe have ambitions for offshore wind power: Norway aims to have licenced 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040, while Denmark, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands aims to build 150 GW by 2050. The North Sea can enable us to meet these goals, for example, through hosting large-scale wind farms with associated supply industry and facilitating the development of floating wind turbine technology.
Christian mentioned several industrial and research projects that are working within this field, including the Green Platform Ocean Grid project and SINTEF’s CleanExport project.
Christian’s presentation, along with all other presentations given in the symposium are available to watch on YouTube (in Norwegian):
