Four giant turbines that float: Norway puts 3.94 billion kroner (about $428 million) behind cheaper offshore wind

The best offshore wind blows over water too deep for turbines bolted to the seabed — which is why the future of offshore wind floats. Norway, which launched the world's first floating turbine in 2009, is now paying to make the technology cheaper. Enova, the state renewables agency, has dedicated 3.94 billion kroner (about $428 million) to two demonstration projects at the Marine Energy Test Centre off Karmøy: four floating turbines of 18.5 megawatts each, together generating about 300 gigawatt-hours a year — roughly the electricity of 15,000 households. The projects, Fram Wind Solutions (BW Offshore) and Fortius Offshore Wind (Deep Wind Offshore), will test everything from anchors to assembly, and are expected to be operating within five years. 'If we succeed in making offshore wind technology profitable enough,' said Enova chief executive Evy Glørstad, 'it will be a big step towards being able to develop renewable power on a large scale more quickly.'

SDG 7 · Affordable and clean energy — Mechanism: funding & finance