Ministry backs METCentre: time limits lifted for testing

METCentre operates under an overarching concession with a duration of 25 years. Each test project also requires a separate, project-specific licence. Until now, these licences have been limited to five years – a timeframe that has not reflected the real needs of the offshore wind industry.

Need of long-term perspective

Five years may be enough to verify that a turbine floats and produces power. And for the first couple of projects that was sufficient. But now - for the coming projects - the long-term perspective is necessary. System and material integrity, operational reliability, environmental observations and performance over time are all critical factors on the path towards commercial scale floating offshore wind.

NVE argued that a strict time limit was necessary to prevent test turbines from becoming production turbines. The Ministry, however, took a broader view – and listened to the arguments presented by technology developers, the rest of the industry. 

As Director Cecilia Girard-Vika at METCentre puts it:

For us, this is positive because it is positive for the projects planning to be installed at METCentre. Our application to amend the licence was driven by the needs of those project owners.

An important added benefit of longer test periods is the opportunity to run third-party projects on turbines already in operation. Today, the two installed turbines support several such initiatives – from the Spoor project, using AI-based camera systems to improve bird monitoring, to the Ocean Charger project, which explored charging battery-powered vessels directly from a turbine.

Things take time

METCentre submitted the application to remove the time limit one year ago. We are pleased to now have clarity – and we know this decision is of great importance to potential test customers and their ability to realize projects.

Test projects are a key step towards commercial floating offshore wind. So this is not just good news for METCentre – it is good news for the entire offshore wind industry. And ultimately, for electricity consumers as well.