Norway-based energy company Equinor has confirmed it is to shelve “indefinitely” its Trollvind offshore wind initiative.
The decision to halt the North Sea project, it said, is based on several challenges, including technology availability, rising costs, and a strained timetable to deliver on the original concept.
Equinor has informed the authorities about about the decision.
The company had previously announced reduced activity in the project due to technical, regulatory, and commercial challenges.
‘No longer a way forward’
Commenting on the move, Siri Espedal Kindem, vice-president of renewables Norway, said: “We appreciate all the positive response towards Trollvind from politicians, suppliers, and authorities.
“Trollvind was a bold industrial plan to solve pressing issues concerning electrification of oil and gas installations, bringing much-needed power to the Bergen-area, while accelerating floating offshore wind power in Norway.
“Unfortunately, we no longer see a way forward to deliver on our original concept of having an operational wind farm well before 2030.”
Equinor cited wider challenges within the offshore wind industry as its reason for halting the initiative, including rising costs and supply chain difficulties.
Further, Equinor said “time was always going to be a challenge” with the proposed timeline, adding that, “despite all the big effort it has not been possible to mature Trollvind to the level needed to go forward at this time.”
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The company said it still hopes to lead in building an offshore wind industry in Norway.
It said it will take forward the knowledge and learning from the Trollvind project and apply it to future initiatives.
Image credit: Henrik A. Jonsson/Shutterstock
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