It’s time to pick up the pace!

Norway once had a unique starting point to become a global leader in floating offshore wind – but today, one country after another is overtaking us. 

We can still stay in the leading pack. But to regain Norway’s attractiveness as a market and strengthen our competitiveness, we must build a portfolio of projects under development – through regular area allocations.

– cluster manager Arvid Nesse.

82 responses

By the deadline of 1 October, 82 consultation responses had been submitted to the government’s Strategic Impact Assessment for offshore wind areas. As expected, they range widely – from individuals expressing general opposition to offshore wind, to organizations and companies providing more concrete and constructive feedback on the content of the assessment.

The assessment highlights several areas where more knowledge is needed about biodiversity impacts, and some consultation responses emphasize the importance of closing these knowledge gaps on wildlife and nature effects. Norwegian Offshore Wind urges that Norway should seize the excellent opportunities we already have to collect data. Both Hywind Tampen and installations at the METCentre provide a foundation for learning. Norway is also at the forefront in developing methods to gather such data – for example, startup Spoor has developed technology that tracks birds and flight patterns around offshore wind installations. This has been running at METCentre since 2021, generating valuable insights. The upcoming development of Utsira Nord will also be key to understanding impacts on migratory birds and bats.

The art of knowing when you know enough – to start.

Knowledge is essential. But the best learning often comes when you actually get going. We now have a sufficient knowledge base to decide which areas to tender – and when. This is crucial to trigger timely investments in harbors and manufacturing capacity for the supply chain.

The cluster calls on the government to publish a plan in early 2026, with new licensing rounds at least every two years, supported by competitive funding schemes in the start-up phase. With consistent policy and the right framework, Norway can secure sustainable energy production and build a globally competitive supply industry.

We already see that Norway has slipped from second to fifth place in attractiveness for floating offshore wind developers. The global race is tough, and that’s why predictability and frequent licensing are critical to attract investors.

Misjudged costs for floating offshore wind

In our consultation response, Norwegian Offshore Wind also raised concern about the cost assessments in the impact study. Costs for floating projects have been overestimated, while costs for bottom-fixed projects in deep waters have been underestimated.

This concern was also raised by others, notably University of Bergen / Bergen Offshore Wind Centre and GCE Ocean Technology, who argue that the cost model is uncertain and may have led to misranking of areas, especially between floating and bottom-fixed technologies.

The way forward

Globally, 115 GW of floating offshore wind area has already been awarded and is under development. Only a fraction of this is happening in Norway.

Still – Norway has a rare opportunity to cement itself as a world leader in floating offshore wind. But that requires a clear and predictable licensing plan, combined with the right knowledge and focus on cost reduction.