Has the wind died down for the offshore wind industry?

Off the coast of North Sea, near Bergen, eleven wind turbines are now generating renewable power. The Hywind Tampen wind farm supplies the Snorre and Gullfaks oil and gas fields with clean energy, significantly reducing emissions. What’s more, the park is a pioneering project demonstrating what can be achieved with floating offshore wind.

From the Sandsli offices in Bergen, Hofshagen and the rest of the operations team coordinate maintenance plans, logistics, and other tasks related to field operations. They also maintain close contact with the control room, reviewing daily activities and weather conditions to provide power forecasts for the platforms.

28-year-old Hofshagen originally studied geology and previously worked in the petroleum sector – like many of her renewable-energy colleagues.

“Equinor’s transition into a broad energy company means we play a significant role in the energy transition. It also leads to numerous exciting development opportunities within the company,” she adds.

“There’s a wealth of knowledge from the Norwegian continental shelf that can be transferred to offshore wind. The wind resources in the North Sea are exceptional, something many people aren’t aware of.”

Significant milestones

Off the Yorkshire coast lies what will become the world’s largest bottom-fixed offshore wind farm: Dogger Bank. In October, the first wind turbine began generating renewable power for the British. By 2026, a total of 277 wind turbines will be installed, with a combined capacity of 3.6 GW, equating to the annual power usage of around six million British homes.

Hywind Tampen and Dogger Bank are significant milestones that Equinor is leveraging in the further development of offshore wind.

Large-scale production should bring costs down 

Norway has big plans for offshore wind: by 2040, the authorities aim to grant offshore wind area licences capable of producing 30,000 MW – almost as much as today’s total Norwegian hydropower production.

Earlier this year, a competition was announced for two areas: Utsira North for floating offshore wind and Southern North Sea II for bottom-fixed wind. Seven consortia of companies have now expressed interest in developing offshore wind in the southern North Sea, while the application deadline for Utsira Nord has been postponed. More areas are planned to be put up for tender in 2025.

Norway’s offshore wind initiative also offers vast opportunities for the supplier industry, which is now transitioning to participate in this new industrial chapter.

“With Hywind Tampen, Equinor and its suppliers have tested which solutions work for floating offshore wind. Utsira Nord will provide the opportunity to scale and industrialise these solutions to reduce costs,” says Kindem.

Now, there will be many more wind turbines – and the Wergeland base in Sløvåg, Gulen municipality, is gearing up to be the ‘offshore wind factory’ that will make it happen. This was also where the Hywind Tampen turbines were assembled.

Wergeland plans to mass-produce concrete foundations and then attach them to wind turbines. Depending on the design chosen for the assembly line, between 20 and 50 units will be produced here each year, creating 200 to 800 new jobs just in the production line.

“We know that one industrial job leads to around three years of work in related services – so it’s clear that this is a great opportunity for us and the local community. We are ready and looking forward to it,” says Irene Wergeland, communications manager of the Wergeland Group.

She believes this project exemplifies the energy transition in practice.

“We have systematically worked towards sustainability for a long time, and it’s incredibly motivating to see that we can be part of the green shift. To meet climate goals, we must include sustainability in everything we do. This, coupled with the expertise we’ve developed in this industrial area and our strategic location, can help make the wind turbine venture economically sustainable,” says Wergeland.

The challenges are not deterring ambitions

In other words, there are high expectations for Norway’s offshore wind initiative. But the challenges are also significant.

Equinor’s Trollvind project had to be indefinitely postponed due to increased costs and delays in new technology. This large offshore wind project in New York has also become costlier and more challenging than initially expected.

Pål Eitrheim, Equinor’s executive vice president for renewable energy, nonetheless emphasises that the company’s long-term belief in offshore wind remains unchanged.

He believes the current industrial challenges will be resolved, and that the ‘growing pains’ will ease in time.

“Offshore wind will be a vital part of the world’s and Norway’s energy mix after 2030 – and Equinor intends to be a leader in this field,” he says.

And while much has changed in recent years, there is also much that remains consistent and provides a basis for optimism for Equinor and Norway:

“Norway’s potential for offshore wind has not changed – our wind resources are world-class. The power and offshore expertise gives us a competitive edge. And green power – in Norway and the rest of the world – is a prerequisite for meeting climate objectives,” Eitrheim points out.