The Ministry of Energy in Norway has approved GoliatVIND's proposed environmental impact assessment (EIA) programme. In a few weeks, the company will submit their licence application.
Today, the Ministry of Energy has approved GoliatVIND's proposal for an Environmental Impact Assessment programme. In line with the exemption provision in the Offshore Energy Act, Goliatvind AS will shortly submit a licence application. If granted, this project will be the world's first demonstration plant with turbines and floaters over 15 MW – showcasing significant export potential for the Norwegian supply chain. The company is backed by Odfjell Oceanwind, Source Galileo , Kansai Electric Power and ENEOS Renewable Energy.
“We are very pleased with the approval of the environmental impact assessment programme, which is a clear path towards licensing. To meet Enova's deadline and to be competitive globally, we are dependent on a licence being granted in 2025. In light of the postponement of Utsira Nord, and the fact that other countries also have upcoming projects in the near future, GoliatVIND represents a key project to secure Norway's position in floating offshore wind”, says Gunnar Birkeland, CEO of Source Galileo Norge and Chair of Goliatvind AS.
On 29 November last year, Goliatvind AS submitted a proposal for an EIA programme for GoliatVIND – a floating offshore wind project outside Hammerfest in Norway. The proposal was circulated for consultation by the Ministry of Energy with a deadline of 31 January 2024. A total of 31 consultation responses were received and published on the Ministry of Energy's website. The proposed EIA programme has now been processed and approved by the Ministry of Energy.
To maintain progress, the project began work on the EIA in September 2023, in parallel with the Ministry of Energy's consideration of the programme. The EIA is based on established practices within onshore wind power projects, and experience with what is expected of an offshore demonstration plant. Goliatvind AS will therefore soon submit the actual environmental impact assessment and at the same time apply for a licence for the project.
“We are very pleased with the approval of the environmental impact assessment programme, which is a clear path towards licensing.....GoliatVIND represents a key project to secure Norway's position in floating offshore wind”
Gunnar Birkeland, CEO of Source Galileo Norge and Chair of Goliatvind AS
Establishes Norwegian supplier capacity and international export opportunities
The 75 MW demonstration plant is planned with five 15 MW wind turbines, located on Odfjell Oceanwind's Deepsea Star™ semi-submersible floating foundation with the turbine located in the centre of the foundation. The plant is planned to being built in 2028/2029, ahead of larger floating offshore wind developments in Norway. This experience will benefit Norway's further floating offshore wind investments, not only for Goliatvind AS, but also for all developers, authorities, suppliers and associated organisations and companies in Norway.
“As a demonstration plant, GoliatVIND will help establish Norwegian supplier capacity and reduce the technical risk of floating offshore wind in Norway. This will result in reduced risks and lower costs for the development of floating offshore wind projects in Norway, initially for the planned projects in the areas called Utsira Nord and Vestavind B”, Birkeland explains.
Enhancing knowledge and strengthening power supply in Finnmark
The project enables earlier learning about floating offshore wind's impact on nature and the environment, benefiting the entire offshore wind sector. Project mapping, follow-up surveys and monitoring will be carried out at Goliat with turbines of the same size as in the planned large-scale developments, but on a much smaller scale. In comparison, in terms of capacity and number of turbines, GoliatVIND is approximately 5-7% of the size of the planned Utsira Nord project.
GoliatVIND will also contribute with new renewable energy in Finnmark, a region that desperately needs more electricity in the future. GoliatVIND is expected to produce about 320 GWh annually, equivalent to the energy consumption of around 18,000 Norwegian households. This is a significant contribution to the power supply balance and security of supply in the area around Melkøya and the rest of the region, and in line with the intention of the Norwegian government's "Power and industry boost for Finnmark".
