In brief
Enova has awarded 3.94 billion Norwegian kroner (about $425 million) to Fortius Offshore Wind and Fram Wind Solutions for five‑year demo projects that will plant 18.5‑MW floating turbines off Karmøy, expected to supply 300 million kWh per year for around 15,000 homes. The projects will explore foundations, mooring and construction methods to make floating wind commercially viable, a move Evy Glorstad hopes will drive large‑scale renewable growth and support Norwegian industry.
In Oslo, the state‑owned agency Enova announced that it has awarded 3.94 billion Norwegian kroner (≈$425 million) to two floating offshore wind projects aimed at reducing technology costs.
Fortius Offshore Wind will receive 2 billion kroner ($216 million) and Fram Wind Solutions will get 1.94 billion kroner ($209 million). The funding is conditional on the projects being completed.
The companies will install two 18.5‑megawatt floating turbines each over the next five years at the METCentre demonstration site off Karmøy in southwestern Norway. The four turbines are expected to produce about 300 million kWh per year, enough to power roughly 15,000 households.
Key areas of testing include floating foundations, mooring systems, and construction and operating methods. Enova has identified these as critical to cutting costs and improving commercial viability for floating offshore wind.
Enova chief executive Evy Glorstad said that making the technology commercially viable could accelerate large‑scale renewable energy development, help Norwegian industry, and reduce transport emissions.
The projects were chosen through a competitive process that assessed electricity output per funding amount, potential for technology adoption, environmental impacts, and prospects for future cost reductions.
