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With its access to Norway's immense wind resources, Vestland is poised to become a Norwegian offshore wind hub. Photo: Equinor.

Offshore Energy

Renewable offshore energy is a core business in Vestland. The region has played a central role in developing the oil and gas sector and will continue to take center stage in developing the future energy sector.  

What’s new in offshore energy? 

Are you interested in what’s going on? GCE Ocean Technology is a Norwegian cluster based in Greater Bergen with lots of competence and a vast network within the sector. 

The region has decades of knowledge from its oil and gas activities, having developed several new and ground-breaking subsea solutions. It has a great deal of experience in the operation, maintenance, and modification of offshore equipment. This experience will be essential for developing Norway’s future energy sources and value chains. 

Key hub for ocean industry

Greater Bergen has always served as a key hub for the ocean industries. It hosts Norway’s largest oil refinery and several industrial parks that have been vital for current offshore oil and gas operations. These parks have contributed greatly through their high-quality infrastructure and accessibility.

Greater Bergen is a big producer of, and has access to, abundant green hydroelectricity. This has powered the region since before oil and gas were discovered.

Zero-emission energy

As we move forward with the green shift, the region is taking a position to ensure the production of new zero-emission energy and is testing new sources for energy production. The focus now is on finding new green energy sources and determining how the energy mix will be in the future. The whole world is in this transition right now.

The region’s ecosystem of research institutes, innovative companies and collaborative clusters constitutes a humming change engine that is birthing key projects within offshore wind energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen, ammonia, fuel cells, and geothermal energy, just to name a few.

Tackling marine pollution 

In addition to zero-emission solutions, Greater Bergen is also working to combat marine pollution. By using the region’s substantial offshore experience, efforts are underway to minimise and reverse the effects of dangerous pollutants, such as oil spills, plastics and harmful organic matter. 

Business opportunities

The green shift is happening now. Greater Bergen has a strong value chain within the oil and gas industry, enabling it to take a position within new renewable energy industries, such as offshore wind. The region also offers a number of industrial and commercial sites for the industry. 

Offshore wind

Capitalising on its immense wind resources, the first offshore wind projects are already underway. The Hywind Tampen project will become the world’s first offshore wind farm powering oil and gas operations. The wind turbines for the project are being assembled at Sløvåg Industrial Park. The Hywind Tampen project is one of the numerous opportunities to take part in building offshore wind power facilities along Norway’s continental shelf.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and blue hydrogen production

The Northern Lights project is developing the world’s first open-source CO2 transport and storage infrastructure. It will collect CO2 from industrial emitters in Norway and Europe at CCB Energy Park in Øygarden, before storing it under the North Sea. 

This will provide opportunities for industrial actors to deposit their CO2 emissions locally with the lowest possible carbon footprint. CCB Energy Park will also be Norway's best location for large-scale hydrogen production based on natural gas with integrated CO2 capture. 

Hydrogen and hydropower

Hydrogen and hydropower are key energy sources that will be further developed.

The Deep Purple™ project will deliver stable, renewable power for remote locations, including offshore installations. This project combines proven technologies from offshore wind and green hydrogen production to create continuous energy.

One of the most exciting hydrogen projects right now is happening with TiZir Titanium and Iron in Odda. Hardanger Hydrogen Hub together with Statkraft, TiZir, Technip FMC, Kongsberg and Odda Technology. Together, they are aiming at using hydrogen instead of coal for their industrial processes. This will involve efficient hydropower use, underwater hydrogen storage, and an optimised energy transition. If the project succeeds, it will lead to climate-neutral, zero-emissions production. A pilot will be built in Tyssedal, on the edge of the Hardanger fjord.  

Ocean Innovation Norwegian Catapult Centre

The Ocean Innovation Norwegian Catapult Centre offers a network of facilities for product design, prototyping, testing and verification for the ocean industries.

This collaborative cluster of organisations works to offer small- and medium-sized companies the tools needed to scale and develop ideas into marketable solutions and products rapidly.

Latest news from this industry

Announcing three new floating wind projects

Norway is announcing a competition for three project areas for floating offshore wind at Utsira Nord, with application deadline September 15. Th 2025. Each project area may have an installed capacity of up to 500 MW of floating offshore wind.

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