Odfjell Oceanwind, Partner to Take Part in Norway's Floating Wind Seabed Lease

Norwegian floating wind technology developer Odfjell Oceanwind said Monday it would, together with its partner Source Galileo, participate in the competition for seabed lease for floating offshore wind on Utsira Nord west of Haugesund in Norway, with their UtsiraVIND project.

The three 500 MW seabed leases are intended to stimulate technology and innovation with the goal of lowering the cost of energy from floating offshore wind.

The seabed leases will be awarded based on qualitative criteria, and the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has recently sent their proposed criteria for award on hearing. Odfjell Oceanwind and Source Galileo have provided their inputs in the hearing round.

Odfjell Oceanwind said these were the main messages provided by the company and its partner:

• Utsira Nord can, if done right, be developed already in 2028. If we manage to do so, the Norwegian industry will reinforce its leading position in floating offshore wind. It is therefore imperative that the players that are in a position to develop the projects fast will be prioritised in this award round.
• It is important for the competition that the minimum criteria for qualifying as a developer on Utsira Nord are proportionate and not unreasonable strict.
• HSE and coexistence must be emphasised in the evaluation. To develop and operate floating offshore in the North Sea requires special competencies which cannot be compared to onshore wind or bottom fixed offshore wind.

Related:

• DNV Close to Granting Main Scantling Approval for Odfjell Oceanwind's Floater
• Odfjell Oceanwind aims to Help Decarbonize Offshore Drilling with Floating Wind