This responsibility embraces developing regulations for and supervising the construction and operation of offshore wind farms. The government’s ambition is to have awarded acreage with a potential for generating 30 gigawatts of wind power from the NCS by 2040.
Utsira North and Southern North Sea II are the first areas of the NCS to be opened for offshore wind developments.
Utsira North is suitable for floating wind turbines, while Southern North Sea II can be developed with both fixed and floating facilities.
Water depths mean that the biggest potential for offshore wind in Norway lies with floating units.
How do fixed and floating offshore wind turbines differ?
Fixed turbines can be installed today in water depths down to 60 metres. They account for the bulk of offshore wind capacity currently developed or under development worldwide.
Many different design solutions exist for fixed turbines. The option chosen depends on water depth and seabed conditions at the relevant installation site.
Where water depths exceed 100 metres, floating support structures represent the only solution today. Various technologies are under development, but all need to provide enough stability to cope with high waves, strong currents and challenging wind conditions.