As reported by China daily, it appears that Norway is about to get its first full-scale offshore wind power plant, Havsul I. In September 2009 the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy granted a licence to Vestavind Offshore, to carry out the project which is expected to bring electricity to around 50,000 households.
Havsul I is located outside the island of Harøya, in Sandøy municipality on the Møre coast and embodies a milestone in the Norwegian offshore wind power sector. The idea behind the project is to increase the Norwegian wind power production by 1 TWh, with a focus on easing the strain on the power situation in Central Norway.
The company plans to utilize Norway’s abundant wind potential and install up to 70 wind turbines off Har y on the Norwegian central west coast.
“I believe there is a climate challenge today. Some applicable solutions for offshore wind are present and my motivation to enter the renewable energy sector is to apply these solutions and contribute with our industrial experiences in oil and gas to bring costs down and make it sustainable. Our target is to reduce construction costs by 40 percent,” said Anne-Grete Ellingsen, CEO of Vestavind Offshore.
“This will be made possible by doing the building inshore – in one of the deep water fjords and towing it out when it’s complete,” she added.
In this way substructure, tower and turbine will be assembled at the quay and in calm waters paving the way for the construction to be more efficient and less time consuming. Subsequently, ready-made installations will be towed out with the use of conventional vessels, thus simplifying the entire process.
Commenting on the costs the project could incur, Ellingsen stressed:
“Price differences between European and Chinese turbines are big. We’re holding a competition and we will decide which is the best turbine based on price and quality. The next few years are crucial. We are searching for partners, including in China who have sufficient industrial experiences to add competence to the original equipment manufactured parts of the project and who have experience in energy production.“
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Offshore WIND staff, March 30, 2012; Image:vestavindoffshore