The development of a large Norwegian offshore wind industry requires synergies and coexistence with other maritime industries to avoid conflicts within Norwegian offshore wind.
The development of offshore wind will ensure renewable energy, value creation, new jobs, and emission reductions – and will create enormous opportunities for the Norwegian supplier industry. To realize the Norwegian potential, we depend on coexistence between multiple industries and environmental interests at sea.
As a developer, Vårgrønn will facilitate synergies between maritime industries and take environmental considerations into account. To help ensure good coexistence between maritime industries and nature and environmental interests, we have engaged in the following:
- Collaboration forum for offshore wind: We actively participate in the government's collaboration forum for offshore wind to ensure sustainable development of offshore wind. Systematic collaboration across maritime industries can raise the level of knowledge, strengthen competitiveness, and contribute to increased value creation from both exporting technology and services, as well as developing our own offshore wind resources.
- Dialogue with other maritime industries: We regularly conduct dialogue meetings with representatives from the fishing industry and other maritime industries, to ensure the flow of information and understand how offshore wind affects other industries. Early dialogue with other industries is crucial for finding good coexistence solutions. Experiences from Denmark and the United Kingdom show that adjustments can be made in the placement of turbines in offshore wind farms and burying power cables, making it possible to combine fishing activities and fixed-bottom offshore wind.
- Contribute to better knowledge: Vårgrønn contributes to research projects that will provide more knowledge about offshore wind and its impact on marine life and sea areas. Among other things, we support the VisAviS project, which runs from 2023-2026; more about the project can be found here https://bit.ly/3R7z2Fv. The main goal of the project is to map migration routes for birds in Norway, which will be important knowledge for impact assessments and to minimize the impact on birds of coastal and offshore wind power plants. We have initiated knowledge gathering and synthesis with our partners in Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord, in which will give us more insight into sea bird fishing activities and prerequisites for coexistence in the two areas.
- Solid environmental surveys: It is important to collect data and knowledge about nature and environment to ensure common understanding of the available areas. Studies on fish, migratory birds, and marine mammals require data collection over several seasons, making it essential to start such surveys as early as possible. Vårgrønn has argued that authorities should initiate early studies on nature and environmental values to reduce time in licensing processes. Surveys initiated by the authorities could also contribute to increasing trust in knowledge and reducing the risk of conflicts later in the licensing and development phase. Read more about our views on environmental surveys in Dagens Næringsliv here.
- Offshore wind in balance with nature: Together with 13 other organizations, Vårgrønn urges the Norwegian Parliament to agree on an offshore wind settlement that, among other things, ensures:dsa
- More funds are allocated to nature management, nature mapping, environmental impact assessments, and both basic and applied research to better understand the impact of offshore wind power on entire ecosystems.
- Management plans for Norwegian sea areas are strengthened as tools for comprehensive management and become clear on the coordination of sector processes. Developing offshore wind also requires thorough, strategic impact assessments.
- The state takes responsibility for conducting early environmental impact assessments/preliminary investigations before a license is granted, with the relevant and project-specific costs later being charged to the company that receives the license.
- The development of offshore wind does not destroy important habitats and migration routes, especially for endangered species.
- A licensing system aimed at building an industry that leads in sustainability, requiring the lowest possible environmental, nature, and climate footprint throughout the entire life cycle of the offshore wind farm. Licenses must reward developers who adopt new and innovative sustainability and nature-based solutions.
- The development in the North Sea and Utsira Nord is used to research areas where we currently have little or no knowledge about the impact of offshore wind turbines on marine life.
The development of the sea must ensure balance between desired value creation and the need for preservation and protection of maritime resources. As a company, it is important that we actively contribute to various forums, involve parties from other industries, and contribute to the establishment of solid maintenance plans of the sea.
