An award winning master’s thesis from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) pinpoints the most promising locations for Norway’s planned 30 GW offshore wind build-out. Using advanced data modeling and optimization techniques, students Luis Bendel and Julius Georg Ahrens identify 12 optimal sites across the Norwegian Economic Zone — offering the most detailed evidence-based proposal to date.
The study finds that southern parts of the Norwegian North Sea deliver the strongest results, particularly the area known as Sønnavind A, which consistently shows capacity factors above 70 percent. Regions around Sørvest A–D and Vestavind A also rank high, reinforcing parts of the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate’s (NVE) earlier assessments.
By contrast, some politically notable areas — including Utsira Nord and the Nordvest regions — do not appear in any optimal portfolio due to lower wind potential or suitability.
The model combines hourly wind data for more than 70,000 grid cells with detailed environmental, technical and social suitability scores. It balances both high energy output and reduced variability in wind production, a key factor for grid stability.
Overall, the thesis provides a data-driven roadmap that sharpens — and in some cases challenges — today’s offshore wind planning in Norway, offering policymakers a clearer basis for the next phase of site selection.
The authors built on data and earlier work by Climate Future’s researchers Ida Marie Solbrekke and Sondre Hølleland, whose contributions formed a critical foundation for the thesis. In addition, industry experts from Equinor, Vårgrønn, Copenhagen Offshore Partners and Deep Wind Offshore contributed key input on project size, turbine spacing and technical feasibility.
Download thesis: https://nva.sikt.no/registration/019914511f67-d0c5ca89-61e0-421b-9925-630d6ebfeab3
Read more about the award winning thesis in NHH Bulletin: https://www.nhh.no/en/nhh-bulletin/article-archive/2025/november/prize-winning-masters-thesis-sheds-new-light-on-offshore-wind-strategy/
