The program consisted of the most relevant companies and speakers operating in the renewable field.

- "The transition to renewable energy is now being vigorously pursued throughout the world. For the industry in Norway, the window of opportunity is now, and here in Southern Norway we need to know when to visit," emphasizes Geir Askvik Haugum, Head of Economic Development in Kristiansand Municipality.

Business Region Kristiansand works actively to position Kristiansand municipality as an attractive and relevant 'hub' for renewable energy. The collaboration goes across different industries, public and private sectors. The goal is to become a hub for Norwegian and international offshore wind.

- "When it comes to offshore wind power, we have a ready-made and sustainable operating base in Kongsgård harbor. This port is very relevant when the wind turbines are to be installed in the North Sea," explains business advisor Morten Lauknes.

A total of 2,000 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power are planned for development globally by 2050. In the North Sea, there are plans to allocate offshore wind areas for the development of 300 GW by 2050. Norway aims to allocate offshore wind areas for the development of 30 GW by 2040. 30 GW offshore wind will correspond to 140 TWh. This is equivalent to Norway's entire power consumption last year, and is more than all the hydropower we have today.

- Agder is in the process of positioning ourselves. We already have a strong, world-class supplier industry, and we need to make sure we become an attractive arena for companies around the North Sea. It's important to think internationally and on a sufficiently large scale," Haugum emphasizes. "Kristiansand already has a leading position in the development of offshore drilling technology, and this knowledge is clearly transferable to offshore wind power.

During the North Sea Wind conference, major developers, technology leaders, port managers and experts presented the status of ongoing projects in the North Sea basin, and delved into future business opportunities and service needs. Key players in the offshore wind industry such as Ventyr, NorSea Group, Equinor, RWE, Vårgrønn, Corio Generation and Nasjonalt kompetansesenter for havvind were among those on stage. 

Jorne Bluekens, Project Manager for Southern North Sea II at Ventyr, presented the company's plans for Norway's first industrial offshore wind farm. It will be located around 200 kilometers south of Agder.

"We want to give you a very concrete project, so that confidence can be built that this is possible in Norway. It's a very important first step for us. But there are a lot of pieces to put in place when building a wind farm. We need foundations, turbines, cables and so on. So we need to secure the big contracts first, before we can do everything else," Bluekens said.

Before Ventyr can realize its plans, an impact assessment must be carried out, which will take around two years. The company will then submit a license application in early 2026. 

"In 2027, we will hopefully reach a financial investment decision. Then everything will change. If we're successful, that's when the fun really begins. You'll see shipyards and installation vessels emerge, and that's when you really see a project come to life. Following this timeline, we will have the first electricity by the end of 2030. That's our ambition," Bluekens concluded.

• The North Sea Wind Conference highlights the opportunities in wind power from the North Sea region and the Baltic Sea.
• The conference is aimed at a wide range of attendees, from developers and large suppliers to smaller companies and supply chain innovators.
• The conference is a collaboration between a number of partners and Kristiansand Municipality.