One of the Government’s climate policy goals is for Norway to become a low-emission economy by mid-century. This will require restructuring, among other things to produce more renewable energy. Offshore renewable energy production
includes offshore wind power, wave power, marine current power, tidal power and osmotic power. At present, offshore wind power is a mar-ginal sector in Norwegian waters. Apart from a floating wind turbine off Karmøy, there are no off-shore renewable energy installations in the man-agement plan area. Although there is great poten-tial for offshore energy in Norwegian sea areas, developments in the years ahead are uncertain, among other things because of the high costs.
4.4.1 Possible future developments in wind power
The degree of wind power development and other offshore renewable energy production will depend on whether technological advances and framework conditions, such as economic consid-erations and conflicts of interest, make such pro-duction profitable. There are a number of technol-ogies available for development. Wind power is the form of offshore energy most likely to be developed in the management plan area. In 2010 a working group led by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate conducted a rough screening of Norwegian sea areas to iden-tify those suitable for wind power development.
The group identified 15 areas, five of which are in the management plan area.
In 2011 and 2012 the Water Resources and Energy Directorate conducted a strategic environ-mental assessment of the 15 areas identified by the working group. The assessments included environmental, economic and business interests associated with these areas and their suitability in technological and economic terms.
After a comprehensive assessment, the Direc-torate recommended that priority should be given to a total of five areas, four of which are in the North Sea (Figure 4.11). The latter are: Frøya-grunnene, Utsira North, and Southern North Sea I and II. In Statnett’s opinion, it will only be possi-ble to connect one of the areas Southern North Sea I and II to the electricity grid by 2025. The Water Resources and Energy Directorate consid-ers that the technical and economic feasibility of these four North Sea areas is very good, and that the cumulative effects on the environment and the consequences for activities in other sectors are acceptable.
Offshore renewable energy installations can make particular areas wholly or partly unsuitable for other activities. Large-scale offshore wind farms will affect relatively large areas; each
tur-bine occupies an area of around 1 km2, and the turbines are linked by a network of power cables on the seabed, which are joined to a cable that transmits the generated electricity to shore. The four North Sea areas identified as priority areas by the Water Resources and Energy Directorate measure from 58 km2 to 2591 km2. Each wind farm will occupy an area of 40–400 km2. If the areas are fully developed, the total area affected will be up to 750 km2, assuming a turbine size of 5 MW and that only one of the areas Southern North Sea I and II is developed. The possible spa-tial overlap with other activities is described in more detail in Chapter 5.
Offshore wind power is a growth industry in Europe, driven by the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, the poor conditions for onshore renewa-ble energy production and the fact that a number of countries have introduced support schemes for specific types of technology. By mid-2012, just over 4 GW of wind power capacity had been devel-oped in European marine waters, and installations
with a potential capacity of 20 GW were either under development or had been granted a devel-opment permit. The European Wind Energy Asso-ciation has estimated that 40 GW of wind power capacity could be developed by 2020. In the UK alone, a total of 25 GW of wind power capacity will be in production or under development by 2020.
An installed capacity of 25 GW generates around 100 TWh/year of electricity. In comparison, Nor-way’s total electricity production is around 130 TWh/year.
Taken together, the four priority areas for development in the North Sea would produce 1.6–
3.7 GW. In 2012, 30 wind farms, with a total capac-ity of 4.6 GW, had been installed and connected to the grid in the whole of the North-East Atlantic (the OSPAR area) (Figure 4.12). A further 61 wind farms had been authorised.
Figure 4.10 Turbulence from Horns Rev offshore wind farm.
Photo: copyright Vattenfall
4.4.2 Possible value creation and employment in the future
The consequences of wind power development for employment and the business sector in the 15 areas were assessed in connection with the strate-gic impact assessment conducted by the Water Resources and Energy Directorate. Value creation was measured in NOK per MW and employment in terms of person-years per MW generated by the development and operation of wind farms over a 25-year period.
The results showed that large-scale develop-ment in areas far from existing onshore infrastruc-ture (ports and the electricity grid) or in deep water have the largest estimated potential for national value creation. In the North Sea this applies particularly to Southern North Sea I and II and Utsira North. For the first of these areas to be developed, the national share of total value crea-tion is estimated at just over NOK 60 million per MW over the full life cycle of the installations, and national employment is estimated at around 50 person-years per MW. In the strategic impact assessment, the Directorate estimated that the average annual number of person-years would be
around 150 for the smallest area (Frøyagrunnene) and 900 for the largest area (Southern North Sea II). However, almost 80 % of the labour is expected to be needed during the construction phase. The profitability of these developments for the local business sector will depend on the number of per-sons employed at the wind farms in relation to the number employed in the adjoining economic region.
4.4.3 Management National framework
The Act relating to offshore renewable energy production (the Offshore Energy Act) entered into force in 2010. A strategy for offshore renewa-ble energy had been put forward together with the bill (in Proposition No. 107 (2008–2009 to the Storting). The Offshore Energy Act provides a framework for regulating offshore renewable energy production, and as a general rule applies outside the baseline and on the continental shelf, although it may also be made applicable inside the baseline. Under the Offshore Energy Act, off-shore renewable energy production may in princi-ple only be established after the public authorities have opened specific geographical areas for licence applications. The Act also stipulates that strategic impact assessments should be con-ducted under the auspices of the authorities before the decision to open geographical areas is made.
A public consultation on the strategic impact assessment on wind power was held, with a time limit for responses on 4 April 2013. The Govern-ment will follow up the assessGovern-ment with a view to opening areas for licensing. The final decision on which areas are to be opened for licensing is taken by the King in Council. Under the Offshore Energy Act, environmental impact assessments must be conducted in connection with licence applications and when the detailed plans are drawn up. Licence awards and approval of the detailed plans must be based on the findings of the impact assessments and otherwise as far as possible on environmental considerations and other user interests.
International framework
There is no EU legislation that directly regulates matters of central importance for offshore energy.
In 2008 the EU Commission presented the plan Offshore Wind Energy: Action needed to deliver on Figure 4.11 Proposed areas for floating and fixed
wind power installations.
Source: Norwegian Mapping Authority, Water Resources and Energy Directorate Southern North Sea I
Olderveggen Frøyagrunnene
Utsira North
Southern North Sea II
Legend
Floating Fixed North Sea–Skagerrak management plan area Areas identified as suitable for offshore wind power development
the Energy Policy Objectives for 2020 and beyond.
This states that wind energy will play an essential role in meeting the objectives of the new Energy
Policy for Europe and that a more strategic and coordinated approach will be important for exploiting Europe’s wind resources. The Renewa-Figure 4.12 Planned, authorised and operational wind farms in the North Sea area.
Source: OSPAR database on offshore wind farms
ble Energy Directive (2009/28/EC) set a target of a 20 % share of energy from renewable sources to be reached by 2020.
In September 2012, the Commission pre-sented the Communication Blue Growth as part of the EU Integrated Maritime Policy. The Commu-nication stated that the Commission will assess options for giving industry the confidence to invest in ocean renewable energy, and that the aim is to address ocean renewable energy issues in a Communication in 2013.
EU countries are required by the EIA Direc-tive to conduct environmental impact assessments before developing offshore renewable energy installations. Such activities must also take place within the framework set out in the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the aim of which is to achieve good environmental status for the EU’s marine waters by 2020.
The OSPAR Commission has published Guidance on Environmental Considerations for Offshore Wind Farm Development.