Three new floating offshore wind projects have signed contracts with Norway's world-leading test center

Before Christmas last year, METCentre, located off the west coast of Norway, received approval to expand its test area with up to four new test sites. The world's first floating offshore wind turbine is already located at the site, and in 2021 it was joined by the Stiesdal-developed TetraSpar. In total, there is space for seven turbines at the site, which can together produce up to 85 MW.

The companies that have now signed with METCentre will demonstrate floaters with 15 + MW turbines. There are no other places in the world testing at this scale. This is the turbine size that will be relevant for future floating offshore wind farms. The test area is located just a few kilometers away from the Utsira Nord area, where Norway’s first commercial floating offshore wind farm will be located.

-This is very good news for innovation in floating offshore wind. The technologies now being planned at METCentre will be crucial when we get started with Utsira Nord, says Arvid Nesse, head of METCentre and the industry network Norwegian Offshore Wind.

At the international conference for floating offshore wind, Floating Wind Days, in May, the state-owned enterprise ENOVA announced a new support program for floating offshore wind. The new test projects are all competing for funding and are therefore currently confidential.

-We are the only place in the world ready with permits to test projects of this capacity. If we are to get floating offshore wind started in Norway without further delays, it must begin at METCentre, so we can gain important knowledge from both the construction and operation processes, and thereby achieve the necessary cost reductions before Utsira Nord. Everything is in place here for Norway to take a leadership role in developing new technology and reducing costs in floating offshore wind, says Nesse, adding:

-To ensure diversity in both the supply chain and technology, we believe it is crucial that these three projects all receive support so that they can be realized before the start of Utsira Nord. We must ensure that Norway maintains a leading position in floating offshore wind globally.

Nesse emphasizes that testing and demonstration projects significantly contribute to reducing the costs of floating offshore wind.

- The most important thing the Norwegian government can do now is investing in demo and test projects, to ensure that commercial projects in the future will be profitable and require less risk mitigation, says Nesse.