Enova sets aside two billion NOK for floating offshore wind

Enova is launching a new program for floating offshore wind with a framework of up to two billion NOK initially. The program will stimulate increased innovation and technology development, contribute to lower costs for the production of wind energy in Utsira Nord and future areas. The first call has an application deadline of 1 December 2023.

The program is called “Floating offshore wind - competition for the demonstration of cost-effective concepts”, and will be run as a competition over two rounds - one round now in the autumn with a limit of up to two billion and a possible new round in 2024/early 2025 with a similar amount provided access to good project.

The scheme is aimed at investment projects with a full lifespan that are planned to start within five years of this decision. The framework will allow for projects with an estimated one to five wind turbines.

Go to press release (language: Norwegian).

Criteria

The applications will be assessed based on how the technology can contribute to the transition to a low-emission society. Enova will rank the applications based on the following criteria:

• Installed power in MW per granted NOK, weighted 70%
• Innovation level and diffusion potential, weighted 30%

– The program is limited to investment support for the demonstration of floating offshore wind. The project must be within the Norwegian economic zone with planned commissioning no later than five years after the decision. This means that full-scale commercial wind farms fall outside this support program, emphasizes Nils Kristian Nakstad, Managing Director of Enova.

Final approval of the new support scheme must be formally approved by EFTA's monitoring body, ESA. Approval is expected during August.