Norway Wind Alliance Looks For Government Support For Wind

Looking to get the benefit of the new push for achieving lower emissions targets, besides a pandemic recovery led by investments into clean tech, an alliance of domestic and foreign energy firms in Norway have pitched for government support to achieve higher wind energy goals for the country.

Estimating offshore wind energy potential at 10 GW by 2050 for Norway, the alliance made up of Equinor, Statkraft, besides offshore wind startups Aker Offshore Wind and Vaargroen, a joint venture of Eni and HitecVision has claimed.

Norway, which has been in the news lately for the quickening transition to Electric cars, with the highest share of electric vehicles in monthly sales now, (and the highest share of EV’s worldwide at 54%) has only this year issued licenses for offshore wind energy in the country’s coast. The shift to sourcing offshore wine energy goes well with the country’s stated emission goals, especially considering European targets of 400 GW from offshore by 2050.

As an oil and gas major, the country’s only tryst with offshore wind has been wind farms to power its offshore oil platforms and rigs. Scaling up those plans and installations could open an opportunity beyond the country for the domestic firms, they believe. Support expected from the government includes tenders for at least 500MW by mid year, besides a clear roadmap for the coming two years.

European firms have clung on to their lead in wind energy, especially offshore, thanks to higher investments, especially by the UK and other countries in offshore wind. China, which had focused on onshore wind so far due to issues of cost, is getting around to offshore wind finally, and many Europeans fear a repeat of the solar experience, where Chinese firms, with massive government support, outbuilt and innovated their way to global leadership in less than a decade. Offshore wind, while not as badly placed, is susceptible to Chinese pressure, as and when they see enough potential and scale in it to give it the full government backing.

Even global onshore wind installations, dominated by European players over the years, offer a major battle in the coming years, as European players compete with Chinese firms for repowering or replacing ageing installs.