GE Vernova has secured Nkr331 million (€28 million) in funding from Norwegian state agency Enova to construct a prototype offshore wind turbine in Gulen, Norway. The 15.5MW prototype, set to be built at the Slovagen industrial area, is scheduled for completion by 2025 and will undergo up to five years of testing.
“We're immensely grateful for the support from Enova and the government,” said Niklas Indrevaer, account director at GE Vernova. “I believe the turbine will be a major step forward in offshore wind technology.”
Approval for the project was granted by Gulen municipal council in April 2024, with preparations underway at the site. Final licensing from NVE is anticipated in the latter half of 2024. Post-testing, the turbine is slated to remain operational on land, generating electricity for an additional 25 years.
Astrid Lilliestrale, Director of Technology and Market Development at Enova, emphasized the project's significance in advancing cost-effective offshore wind technology: “This is an important step towards reducing the cost of floating offshore wind in the long term.”
Lilliestrale added, “If Norway is to meet its long-term climate commitments, industry and society must be electrified, and offshore wind plays an important role in this.”
