Illustration of GoliatVIND, close to Hammerfest.
The GoliatVIND project, which is set to demonstrate Odfjell Oceanwind's floating offshore wind technologies in northern Norway, has made significant progress towards a realisation with today's approval of the EIA program.
The following Press Release was issued by Goliatvind AS today:
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.
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".
Media contact
Per Lund
CEO of Odfjell Oceanwind AS
Tel.: +47 918 74 363
E-mail: plu@odfjelloceanwind.com
About Goliatvind AS
The applicant company Goliatvind is 100% owned by Goliatvind Holdco AS, which in turn is owned by Source Galileo (through Source Galileo Holding AS with 40%), Odfjell Oceanwind (through OOW Project Development AS with 20%), Kansai Electric Power Company (through KPIC Netherlands B.V. with 20%) and ENEOS Renewable Energy Corporation (through ERE Offshore Norway AS with 20%).
Odfjell Oceanwind is owned by, among others, Odfjell Technology Ltd, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Kansai Electric Company. Through close cooperation with Odfjell Drilling and Odfjell Technology, the company builds on a strong maritime tradition through 50 years of experience from design, construction and operation of floating drilling rigs in harsh environments. In parallel with the development of the Deepsea technologies for offshore wind, the consortium has matured a number of suppliers for realisation of projects based on this technology. Odfjell Oceanwind employs approximately 60 people in its offices in Bergen, Stavanger and Oslo.
Source Galileo is a European developer of large-scale renewable energy projects, mainly in Norway, Ireland and the UK. Source Galileo is a joint venture between Source Energie and Galileo Green Energy GmbH. The former is a pan-European developer, owner and operator of renewable energy. The latter, Galileo, is a long-term investor backed by significant institutional investors, including Australian HRL Morrison & Co, pension funds in Australia and New Zealand, and infrastructure fund Infratil. Galileo contributes to the financial strength of Goliatvind AS and supports further growth in the Norwegian business. Source Galileo Norway AS, established and owned by Source Galileo Ltd, operates from its head office in Haugesund, with full support from its offices in Dublin and London. Source Galileo has about 30 employees, 10 of whom are permanently employed by Source Galileo Norway AS.
Kansai Electric Power Company is one of Japan's leading energy companies, with extensive experience in the development, operation and ownership of energy systems as Kansai Group in areas such as hydropower, wind power, thermal power, nuclear, natural power and grid systems. Kansai's portfolio includes several large-scale offshore wind farms based on bottom-fixed installations. The company also has a 17 MW (Nagasaki Goto) floating offshore wind project under development in Japan. More recently, Kansai has expanded its overseas investments to develop floating offshore wind in Europe. Kansai also has an annual power production in its portfolio of 95 TWh and owns and operates approximately 19,000 km of transmission grid and approximately 133,000 km of distribution grid in Japan. The company has about 30,000 employees, which includes all subsidiaries. Its head office is in Osaka, Japan.
ENEOS Renewable Energy Corporation (ERE) is one of Japan's leading independent renewable power producers and serves as the renewable arm of Japan's largest oil refiner ENEOS Holdings., specializes in solar, wind, biomass, and small-scale hydropower projects. As of October 2024, ERE operates over 100 renewable power plants with a capacity of about 1,308 MW (including those under construction), while also advancing large-scale offshore wind projects. Recently, the company secured operating rights for a 375 MW fixed-bottom offshore wind project in Akita Prefecture (Japan) and is participating in a 17 MW floating offshore wind project in Nagasaki Prefecture (Japan). In June 2024, ERE joined the Floating Offshore Wind Technology Research Association (FLOWRA) to promote technology development for floating offshore wind. Committed to addressing environmental and social challenges, ERE aims to contribute to a decarbonized, sustainable society. Founded in 2012, is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and has approximately 500 employees
