By bringing together complementary expertise across disciplines, the Governance frameworks for the Nordic energy transition at sea project (GNTS) aims to enhance research capacity and position the Nordic region as a leader in offshore energy governance and regulatory frameworks.
Offshore energy projects often face hurdles due to missing rules or governance differences across countries. These challenges are particularly pressing in marine environments, where issues such as borders, stakeholders, and ecosystems add complexity. The rise of new technologies – ranging from floating solar and hydrogen to offshore nuclear, shipping decarbonisation, and carbon capture and storage – underscores the urgent need for updated or new governance frameworks.
“The sea will have a key role in the Nordic energy transition. Utilisation of sea spaces opens up new technical possibilities to generate more and cleaner energy. However, it raises complex challenges so far under-studied – interaction with the marine environment, conflicts with other users, and the uncertainty of borders drawn among waves. Thanks to the generous funding by Nordic Energy Research, our project brings together junior and established researchers in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden to question (and answer) how governance must evolve to enable a sustainable and collaborative blue energy future,” says project leader Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui.
