Predicts offshore wind will create possibilities for Greater Bergen ports

To fulfil EU goals for energy from sustainable sources, EU and several individual countries have stated clear ambitions for offshore wind development. Approximately half of today’s global offshore wind capacity is installed in Northern Europe, particularly in the North Sea, where also future projects are planned.

Could reach 97 GW

Today, bottom-fixed installations are the dominant technology, while the market for floating offshore wind is still relatively immature.

A study, conducted by Menon Economics on behalf of Norwegian Offshore Wind, Export Finance Norway, Invest in Bergen, Invest in Agder and Invest in Rogaland suggests offshore wind development will be particularly significant in the North Sea, with a potential capacity of 72 GW by 2030. Including the Atlantic (including the Irish Sea) and the Baltic Sea, offshore wind capacity could reach 97 GW.

Development projects related to offshore wind will lead to significant industrial opportunities for Norwegian ports towards 2030, as assembly and installation ports are a vital component in the offshore wind value chain. These ports need to be located close to the potential offshore wind-parks.

Two ports in Greater Bergen

The report identifies 14 Norwegian ports in Norway that could provide assembly and installation services to offshore wind farms. A common denominator for all of them is that they have plans to develop their areas to take on assembly and installation tasks for offshore wind farms by 2030. In Greater Bergen, the report points at Hanøytangen at Askøy and Gulen Industrial Harbour (Wergeland) in Gulen. 

Menons’s calculations indicate a significant opportunity for Norwegian installation and assembly ports, which collectively aim to achieve an installation and assembly capacity of 5 GW annually by 2030. For offshore wind parks being developed in the North Sea, there will likely be a demand for an installation and assembly capacity of up to 12 GW by 2030, nearly four times the existing capacity of 3.2 GW.

Location of identified assembly and installation ports. Source: Menon Economics 

In Vestland County, also Fjord Base in Florø and Timberbay at Stord are identified as ports with large potential. 

The report underlines collaboration between ports and regional partners is vital to achieve potential values. One important partner is GCE Ocean Technology; the region’s industry driven initiative dedicated to helping partners and members providing access to talented individuals, promoting competence development, and offering access to advanced infrastructure.

Major potential economic impact  

Menon has also analysed the potential economic ripple effects and predicts that an assembly port with an annual capacity of 500 MW in 2030 could support between 600 and 1,700 full-time equivalent jobs, depending on the foundation technology. The yearly turnover is estimated to NOK 8,4 billion.

However, Menon also points out several barriers and success criteria necessary in order to succeed with developing a competitive assembly and installation industry within offshore wind.

Barriers primarily revolve around challenges related to access to sufficient space in the ports and adequate financing to invest in upgrading and expanding ports.

- In terms of space, social acceptance plays a crucial role in obtaining zoning approvals from the municipality to the port, as well as whether the port is publicly or privately owned and whether the port is already located in a regulated area or associated with industrial and commercial activities. Financing challenges encompass both the risks associated with the timing and pace of offshore wind development in the coming years, as well as coordination and collaboration at the national level, between ports, and between ports and developers, concludes Menon.

The report can be downloaded here: