Norway-based energy company Equinor is halting development of its Trollvind offshore floating wind farm indefinitely. Technology availability, rising costs and a strained timetable to deliver on the original concept are some of the challenges that influenced the decision, the company says.
“Trollvind was a bold industrial plan to solve pressing issues concerning electrification of oil and gas installations, bringing much needed power to the Bergen-area, while accelerating floating offshore wind power in Norway,” says Siri Espedal Kindem, Equinor’s head of renewables, Norway. “Unfortunately, we no longer see a way forward to deliver on our original concept of having an operational wind farm well before 2030.”
The obstacles Trollvind faced are similar to those of the broader offshore wind industry. It was originally thought that Trollvind would not require any financial support, but escalating prices have made the project commercially unsustainable. Lack of availability of the preferred technology also made the concept less viable. In addition, the proposed timeline proved to be problematic.
Looking ahead, Equinor is still dedicated to building an offshore wind industry in Norway. It will continue to develop floating offshore wind power at Utsira Nord and pursue projects outside of the country as well.
