Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre) in Norway has launched a tender process for companies or consortia looking to test their floating offshore wind technology.
The test center for floating offshore wind METCentre has an available berth, located outside of Karmøy on the west coast of Norway.
METCentre has invited the interested parties to submit a bid for the test berth, setting the qualitative criteria to ensure that a new test project contributes to positive ripple effects for the offshore wind industry.
Potential test customers must demonstrate how the project provides positive effects for the supply chain, and be able to explain how their solution contributes to reducing costs in the field of floating offshore wind.
Additionally, they must account for the project's carbon footprint, impact on nature and the environment, and coexistence with other industries at sea.
"We are in contact with a long list of project owners who are interested, but we want to cast a wide net in the market. A tender process like this, where we also set some qualitative requirements, will help ensure that we receive a robust project that can drive the industry forward," said Arvid Nesse, METCentre’s CEO.
In December 2023, METCentre secured the final approval for its new concession from the Norwegian Ministry of Energy.
In total, five new projects are planned, in addition to the two turbines currently in operation at the site.
The test concessions granted to METCentre are up to 20 MW per unit.
"We have closely aligned ourselves with the criteria proposed by the industry for Utsira Nord. We are in a pivotal time for floating offshore wind, where we see that the choices we make today set the direction for the entire industry in the future," added Nesse.
In early January 2024, Aker Solutions signed a FEED with METCentre to develop the world's first subsea power distribution system for floating offshore wind.