The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has given METCentre the concession to test SeaTwirl´s vertical-axis floating wind turbine.
The concession comes after the Norwegian authority Norges Vassdrags- og Energidirektorat (NVE) rejected an appeal to overturn SeaTwirl’s S2x concession in Norway.
The decision can therefore no longer be appealed, and SeaTwirl can now move forward with the planning and installation of the S2x prototype.
SeaTwirl was first awarded the concession together with METCentre in late March 2022, but an appeal was filed during the customary preparation period. That has now been rejected and the decision from 2022 has been confirmed by NVE and the Ministry of Oil and Energy.
“A long-awaited decision in a process that is always difficult to predict. The appeals process has created uncertainty around the schedule for S2x which is a capital-intensive project with long lead times. Our main focus is the commercialization of large turbines, SX, in floating wind farms. The outcome provides freedom to choose and plan the installation of S2x in the way that best supports that goal,” says CEO Peter Laurits.
"This is a one of a kind project that we are very happy to test, says project manager at the Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre)," Hanne Tvedt.
The 1 MW turbine will be located at Bokn in Rogaland, around 600 meters from the shore. The plan is to have it installed by the end of 2023.
"We are very eager to see the results of this. Vertical technology is new and very exciting. This project will provide the industry with valuable insight and contribute to drive innovation in floating offshore wind forward," says Tvedt.
Sea Twirl has signed a letter of intent with Westcon Yards for the construction.
The technical director at SeaTwirl, Jonas Boström, is excited to get started with the project:"The big advantage of having vertical-axis wind turbines is that you can lower the center of gravity. You can have the generator closer to the ground, or in our case, the sea. We aim to develop larger turbines, so that we can be relevant for parks in the pipeline, for example ScotWind, Utsira Nord and Trollvind. There's an incredible industry here, and that's where we want to go."