Offshore wind energy in the North Sea, an exchange of views between Scotland and Norway

On Monday, 10 November 2025, the University of Dundee hosted Bastian Jansen, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Energy of Norway, in the context of a learning visit to Scotland.  The meeting was an opportunity to exchange views and discuss ongoing developments on offshore wind energy in the North Sea, from technical to legal and policy challenges. Floating offshore wind energy and supply chains are topics of common interest in both countries. 

Dr Ernesto Bonafe, a Senior Lecturer in Energy Law in the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP), set the scene by referring to the allocation rounds for contracts for differences, the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan in the UK, and the North Seas Energy Cooperation framework. 

Professor Mike Brown, Chair of Geotechnical Engineering in the School of Science and Engineering, gave an overview of the current Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Place Based Impact Accelerator focussing on Offshore Wind in the East of Scotland, and provided a demonstration on screw pile foundation testing on the Centrifuge facility. 

Dr Moray Newlands, Associate Dean Enterprise & Economic Transformation in the School of Science and Engineering, provided a snapshot on industry-led research on low-carbon concrete for offshore wind, whilst Dr Alan Cuthbertson provided an overview on other ongoing research links with Norway, dealing with the environmental impact of rock deposits in fjords. 

The meeting highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of offshore wind energy, as well as the need for a dialogue between researchers, policy makers and the industry, at national and international levels.