Equinor has made a significant announcement regarding the future of the Trollvind floating offshore wind initiative, stating that it will indefinitely postpone its further development. This decision stems from a multitude of challenges that the project has encountered, encompassing factors such as technology availability, escalating costs, and a constrained timetable to realize the original concept, as highlighted by the Norwegian developer.
Informed authorities have been duly notified about the project's abandonment within the Troll oil field area, located approximately 65 kilometers west of Bergen, Norway. Equinor had previously communicated a reduction in activity pertaining to the project, citing a range of obstacles, including technical, regulatory, and commercial hindrances.
Reflecting on the situation, Siri Espedal Kindem, the senior vice president for the Renewables Norway cluster, expressed gratitude for the positive responses received from politicians, suppliers, and authorities with regards to Trollvind. She further elucidated that the initiative was an ambitious industrial plan, aiming to address pressing concerns related to the electrification of oil and gas installations. Its objective was to provide much-needed power to the Bergen area while simultaneously propelling the advancement of floating offshore wind power in Norway. Regrettably, the company no longer envisions a viable path to actualize the original concept, which entailed establishing an operational wind farm well before 2030.
The decision to place Trollvind on hold can be attributed to a series of challenges confronting the broader offshore wind industry. Equinor revealed that mounting costs have proven to be a significant hurdle, ultimately compromising the project's initial premise of not requiring financial support and rendering it commercially unsustainable. Additionally, the unavailability of preferred technology has necessitated alterations in the technical solutions, thereby diminishing the project's overall feasibility.
Moreover, the proposed timeline has posed a persistent challenge from the outset, and despite substantial efforts, Trollvind has not matured sufficiently to warrant further progress at this juncture.
Equinor assures that the knowledge and insights garnered from working on Trollvind will be effectively leveraged in other endeavors, as the company remains steadfast in its commitment to the development of floating offshore wind power, both at Utsira Nord and beyond Norway.
