NTNU and SINTEF will be partners in the newly funded FME
NorthWind research center, which will develop competitive offshore wind farms
within ten years
The NorthWind Research Centre for Environment Friendly
Energy (FME) has been awarded $14 million for the next eight years by the
Research Council of Norway.
The goal is for a consortium of more than 40 industry,
research and educational institutions to work together to make Norway a world
leader in offshore wind and make offshore wind a competitive energy source in
the next decade.
“Rapid growth in offshore wind power internationally offers
great opportunities for Norwegian businesses. Research and development is
crucial to secure lower costs, less environmental impact and improved operating
models for such projects. I believe a longterm research center with industry
partners, the research community and the government will contribute to further
development of offshore wind power in Norway," said Tina Bru, Norway’s
Petroleum and Energy Minister in announcing the award of the grant.
This major investment will develop new green jobs in Norway
in offshore wind, contribute to offshore wind becoming a new export industry in
Norway, increase efficiency in offshore wind, cut costs and contribute to the
sustainable development of wind power on land and water.
Now we have to develop wind power that shows even greater
regard for both people and the environment.
“Land-based wind power has seen a great deal of engagement
on the part of the public. Now we have to develop wind power that shows even
greater regard for both people and the environment. An important task for the
center is to be a knowledge-based meeting place for different wind power
interests,” says NTNU’s rector Anne Borg.
NTNU and SINTEF were also partners in the previous Centre
for Environment Friendly Energy related to offshore wind, FME NOWITECH, from
2009 to 2017. The center provided the foundation for 40 innovations and
educated more than 260 master’s students and 40 PhD candidates. FME NorthWind
will continue these efforts to train experts for the future.
The center will be managed by SINTEF along with NTNU, the
Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), the Norwegian Institute for Natural
Research (NINA) and the University of Oslo (UiO). Among the larger
international partners are DTU, TNO, Fraunhofer, University of Strathclyde,
NREL and NCEPU. The collaboration with over 40 Norwegian business partners is
absolutely central, the players said.
Among the main goals are to develop competitive floating
wind farms by the year 2030, and at least 20 innovative developments.
“Norway is a knowledge powerhouse when it comes to ocean
space technology. NorthWind will study new radical solutions that will make
offshore wind a very important part of the energy supply of the future. The
knowledge developed in the center will also be valuable for the other important
maritime industries in Norway,” said Alexandra Bech Gjørv, CEO of SINTEF.
The Research Council of Norway’s centers for environmentally
friendly energy (FME) fund projects for eight years. The goal is for the
centers to make a long-term research effort at a high international level. The
research will solve identified challenges in renewable energy, energy
efficiency, CO2 management and the social sciences.