Wind Power in Norway

  • Norway produces most of its energy with hydro electric power,  Recently the Norwegian government has approved spending 20 billion NOK to triple its wind power capacity of ca. 700 MW to more than 2 GW by 2020. In August 2016 construction of the 1 GW Fosen Vind project began. Increased production of power from wind turbines will allow Norway to curtail its domestic consumption of hydroelectricity, which due to being dispatchable is a valuable asset in the international power market. To further curtail its consumption of hydroelectricity, Norway imports electricity when excess wind production in Denmark and the Netherlands drives prices down there. To further develop its use of both cheap wind power and its dispatchable hydropower, Norway is considering new transmission lines to allow for the same trade with Scotland and Germany sometime after 2020. These are the North Sea Link and the NORD.LINK which are due to come online in 2021 and 2020 respectively.