Constructing an offshore wind farm is like building a factory at sea. The task is monumental. Fortunately, Norway has precisely the right kind of expertise to meet the challenge: a complete offshore wind value chain, decades of offshore sector experience and vessels that are second to none.

Installing offshore wind turbines requires specialised vessels, including wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV), or jack-up vessels, construction service operation vessels (CSOV) and feeder barges. In Norway, pioneering work is being done in designing hybrid offshore wind vessels that use alternative fuels such as hydrogen and methanol.

The Ulstein Group, one of Norway’s largest shipbuilders, has designed two different hydrogen-hybrid vessels for offshore wind. One of these is the ULSTEIN SX190 Zero Emission DP2 construction support vessel (CSV). Designed using proven and readily available technology, this CSV can operate in dynamic positioning (DP) mode for up to five days using hydrogen fuel. For prolonged operations, the vessel can be powered by a more conventional diesel-electric system using low sulphur fuel oil.

The other is the ULSTEIN J102 Zero-emission wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), which uses a hybrid solution combining a hydrogen fuel cell system and a small battery energy storage system. This allows the vessel to operate in zero-emission mode for 75 per cent of its operational time, when it is in a jacked-up position performing crane operations.

Kongsberg Maritime delivers advanced technologies from its product line to address the specific needs of WTIVs. The state-of-the-art DP system cooperates with the integrated propulsion system, energy control system and sensors, ensuring accurate operation with heavy loads. Shipyards will save engineering hours and cabling and installation work, while owners and operators will see lower operating costs from more efficient installation operations.

To achieve the EU’s renewable energy targets for 2030, the entire offshore wind value chain must be expanded. “Even if we have wind power, we need to connect it to the electrical grid. Norway has the R&D and robust supply chain to contribute to the further development of the European grid infrastructure,” states Sigurd Urdal, Special Advisor for offshore wind at Innovation Norway.

Cables are a crucial part of well-functioning electrical grids, and here Norwegian cable suppliers are on the industry’s cutting edge. A notable example of this is Nexans Norway, a world leader in cables and cable laying for the offshore wind industry.

A few years ago, Nexans opened the first high-voltage subsea cable plant in North America to supply the rapidly expanding US offshore wind market. Nexans estimates that it will be able to deliver up to 1 000 km of cables for Ørsted’s offshore wind farms in North America up until 2027.

Nexans has one of the world’s most advanced fleets of cable-laying vessels. These specially designed ships perform complex cable installation operations in all water depths. One of these is the Nexans Aurora, a groundbreaking vessel built by Ulstein and designed for rough weather and high manoeuvrability.

Like Nexans, the Norwegian EPCI provider Seaway7 excels at cable laying for offshore wind. Among its many projects, Seaway7 has signed a substantial cable contract with Equinor and Polenergia for two bottom-fixed offshore wind projects in Poland. The projects, MFW Bałtyk II and MFW Bałtyk III, are the largest and most advanced offshore wind farms being developed in Poland.

Substations are the nerve centre of offshore wind farms. They collect and stabilise the power generated by the wind turbines, preparing it for transmission to shore. This normally involves the conversion of alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC).

Several Norwegian companies are constructing substations for some of the world’s largest and most innovative offshore wind projects. Aibel, for example, is providing three offshore substations to Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which will be the world’s largest wind farm when completed. Located about 130 km off the northeastern coast of the UK, Dogger Bank will power up to 6 million households annually.

In collaboration with its partner Hitachi Energy, Aibel has already installed the first two substations, on Dogger Bank A and B, and is currently constructing the substation for Dogger Bank C in Haugesund, Norway.

“Our expertise comes from decades of experience in the offshore industry,” states Liv-Runi E. Syvertsen, EVP of Offshore Wind in Aibel.

“The Dogger Bank substations are a huge team effort, and we have used the entire value chain to design and build this platform. We are pleased to partner with Norwegian suppliers wanting to enter the international offshore wind market,” she adds.

Moreover, Aibel is developing an HVDC platform for connecting large floating wind farms, again in partnership with Hitachi, in a sub-project under the large, publicly funded Ocean Grid project, which aims to develop new grid solutions for offshore wind energy.

In another sub-project, Aker Solutions and its partners are developing the world’s first subsea substation for floating wind farms, with the potential to reduce capital expenditures by 20 to 50 per cent. The substation’s main components comprise a 66kV wet mate connection system from Benestad and subsea switchgear and control system from ABB.

In another innovative solution, HydePoint is developing a combined offshore substation and hydrogen factory, enabling the large-scale production of green hydrogen from wind energy.

The North Sea Basin offers immense opportunities for Europe’s offshore wind sector, but in order to reach the ambitious targets set by the surrounding countries, port capacity for assembly and installation of offshore wind assets must double in capacity by 2030.

According to the North Sea Basin Analysis, Norway is uniquely positioned to ease development pressures thanks to its extensive network of ports and offshore expertise. With protected waters, deep-water fjords, minimal tidal variations and a robust offshore industry, Norway already holds over 17 per cent of the vessel market, underscoring its strategic advantage.

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Several Norwegian companies bundle their assembly and installation services, increasing efficiency and reducing costs for offshore wind farms. One of these companies is Axess, which provides integrated packages in cable installation and in inspection and maintenance. The company’s bundled services can turn 100 different supplier contracts into just one. Axess is a supplier to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

Another full-spectrum service provider is DOF, which provides inshore turbine assembly, offshore installation, cable laying and maintenance of the turbine farms. Unlike most other companies, DOF has its own large fleet of vessels to execute these tasks.

“We are a one-stop shop for floating offshore wind engineering and construction services. Our four decades of offshore sector experience makes this possible,” says Jan-Kristian Haukeland, EVP Renewables at DOF.