In brief
Enova's October 30 grant of 3.94 billion kroner (≈$425 million) funds two demonstration projects that will install four 18.5‑MW floating turbines off Karmøy, producing roughly 300 million kWh per year. The pilots aim to test foundations, moorings, and construction methods to cut costs and enable broader deployment in deep waters. Enova’s CEO Evy Glorstad highlighted the projects’ role in accelerating renewables, boosting industry and lowering transport emissions.
Oslo – In a move to accelerate floating offshore wind, Norway’s state‑owned agency Enova on Friday announced a grant of 3.94 billion Norwegian kroner (about $425 million) to two demonstration projects. The allocation, made on Oct. 30 2026, is earmarked for the installation of 18.5‑megawatt turbines that will sit on floating foundations off Karmøy in southwestern Norway. Both projects are expected to begin construction over the next five years and are designed to prove the technology’s commercial viability.
Enova split the funding between two firms. Fortius Offshore Wind will receive 2 billion kroner (≈ $216 million), while Fram Wind Solutions will obtain 1.94 billion kroner (≈ $209 million). The disbursement is conditional on the projects’ implementation, the agency said. Both companies will install two turbines each, creating a total of four generator units. Together the four units will generate an estimated 300 million kWh of electricity per year, enough to power roughly 15,000 Norwegian households.
The demonstration sites are located at the METCentre’s floating wind research platform in the North Sea. Each turbine will be mounted on a floating platform designed to withstand harsh marine conditions. Key technical focus areas include the foundations’ anchoring systems, mooring line configurations, and construction‑and‑operation procedures. By testing these components in real sea‑to‑grid environments, Enova hopes to identify cost‑saving and efficiency‑enhancing measures that could lower the levelised cost of electricity for floating wind.
Enova stated that the projects were chosen through a competitive process that evaluated electricity output relative to funding, potential for broader technological adoption, environmental impacts, and prospects for future cost reductions. The agency emphasized that successful pilots would support a broader industry shift. By achieving measurable cost reductions, the projects could facilitate large‑scale deployment of floating wind in deeper waters where traditional fixed‑bottom turbines are infeasible.
Enova Chief Executive Evy Glorstad said that making the technology commercially viable could accelerate large‑scale renewable energy development, help Norwegian industry, and reduce transport emissions. She also noted that the demonstration would create new skills and opportunities for Norwegian marine and engineering sectors.
“Making the technology commercially viable could accelerate large‑scale renewable energy development, help Norwegian industry, and reduce transport emissions.”
Norway’s floating‑wind strategy aligns with a global wave of similar initiatives. Projects in Ireland, Portugal, and the Netherlands have already demonstrated pilot floating turbines, and several Asian and Australian ports are studying the technology. By securing a sizeable grant, Enova demonstrates domestic political will and sets a precedent that could influence policy makers elsewhere to support their own floating‑wind investments.
