Odfjell Oceanwind has announced it has secured a 24 MW grid connection slot at the Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre) in Norway. This allocation will facilitate the installation of a full-scale floating offshore wind turbine in 2028 as part of its “SCALEWIND” project.
The SCALEWIND project is designed to be a comprehensive demonstration of all critical components required for a utility-scale floating wind farm. This includes an extra-large wind turbine generator, the Deepsea Star semisubmersible steel foundation, a complete mooring system, dynamic cables, and the necessary subsea infrastructure for power collection and grid delivery. Odfjell Oceanwind will collaborate closely with METCentre to develop and mature the engineering, procurement, installation, and commissioning of the shared seabed infrastructure, which will serve both the SCALEWIND project and potential future demonstrators.
“Demonstrators like the SCALEWIND project are essential to de-risk floating offshore wind prior to scaling to larger projects such as Utsira Nord, INTOG, Scotwind, and others,” stated Per Lund, CEO at Odfjell Oceanwind. “The world has yet to witness the technology required for developing these multi-turbine and multibillion-dollar projects. While the largest floating offshore turbine deployed to date is 9.5MW, utility-scale projects are expected to utilize turbines with more than twice that capacity. By deploying a single unit with relevant technology early, we will demonstrate to key stakeholders – including developers, investors, banks, insurance companies, certification agencies, and authorities – that the technology is timely, reliable, and available before broader commitments are made for larger commercial ventures.”
Lund further emphasized that the project is anticipated to provide invaluable insights for the supply chain and showcase various aspects of industrialization, paving the way for larger commercial deployments.
The SCALEWIND project will operate under an alliance model, seeking to collaborate with forward-thinking industry players who possess a strategic interest in advancing utility-scale floating offshore wind. Relevant industry participants will be invited to engage with the project, and interested parties are encouraged to contact Odfjell Oceanwind to explore potential strategic alignment.
This announcement follows recent news of California-based Aikido Technologies’ agreement with METCentre to deploy a 15MW demonstration project, AO60, off Norway in 2027.
