Already long-reliant on the wind and the consistent ocean current and tides, the northern North Atlantic is perhaps an ideal place to start for those seeking to tap into the forces of nature to power our society.

To find out how the wind and waves can be harnessed— as well as to underscore the region’s potential as a lab where tomorrow’s ocean-energy technologies can see the light of day — NORA, together with Nordic Energy Research and the Faroese Environment Agency, co-organised the Ocean Energy: A Vital Future Source panel at the 2022 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, Iceland.

During the opening of the annual conference, Bárður á Steig Nielsen, the premier of the Faroe Islands, delivered an address in which he underscored that his country now considered sustainable growth as the only form of real growth.

Echoing that sentiment, Klaus Skytte, the chief executive of Nordic Energy Research, noted that the well-attended session was reflective of the great interest in energy in the North Atlantic and Nordic regions.

“The Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland have large energy resources and a unique opportunity to show how the green transition in the Arctic region can be sustainably achieved,” he said.

Speakers during the session and their topics included:

Gavin Mackay, Highlands and Islands Enterprise: Scottish Offshore Wind Overview and How This Might Relate to Iceland and the Faroe Islands

Trond Kvamsdal, Norwegian University of Science and Technology: Floating Wind Turbines – State of the Art

Terji Nielsen, SEV: The Potential for Ocean Wind Energy in Faroes and Iceland

Marte Rusten, DNV: Accommodating Biodiversity in Nordic Offshore Wind Projects

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