Norway has an ambition to increase the value creation from the sea. Existing industries change and new ones emerge. In the long term, there will be a greater rift for the most attractive sea areas. We should avoid a development where the level of conflict increases and the climate and nature crisis worsen. It is necessary to identify nature-positive solutions that can contribute to more value creation without increasing the conflicts. One possible solution can be marine business parks.
A marine multi-use platform exists when two or more marine business activities take place within the same area or on the same physical platform.
On 31.10.23 The Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic at UiT the Arctic University of Norway presented a policy brief for the Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy in Norway, Cecilie Myrseth. In the policy brief, the concept of marine business parks is presented; areas where two or more ocean business activities are located together. One example could be situated around ocean wind turbines providing renewable energy for land-based use and for electric ships, being the location for seafood production and for carbon-capture for storage and utilisation.
In May 2022, the Center for Ocean and the Arctic, together with Nofima and key industry players, published a preliminary study on marine business parks, read more here (report in Norwegian). The study highlights that multi-use at sea can provide several benefits. Mainly increased area effectiveness at sea, and thus less conflicts among industry players, and more area available for other uses, including marine protection or fisheries. For business operators, co-location can contribute to reduced costs and increased value creation through shared infrastructure, cooperation on services, monitoring, maintenance and emergency preparedness. If the park includes renewable energy production, it will be able to provide energy for other industries and activities. Close co-location also strengthens the possibility of a circular economy, and operating together can also strengthen cooperation between the actors, which in turn can trigger innovation. Due to the above-mentioned benefits, we have decided to continue the work on marine business parks.
The preliminary study suggests 10 recommendations for the continuation of the project. It is possible to implement the recommendations individually, but they all build on one another and are mutually reinforcing.
Together with key industry players, we are now exploring the possibility of continuing the project based on these recommendations. Our project partners are:
- WWF World Wide Fund for Nature
- Norwegian Fishermen's Association
- The Norwegian Seafood Federation
- Norwegian Shipowners' Association
- Equinor
- Mainstream Renewable Power
- REV Ocean
- Troms Kraft
Do you have questions? Do not hesitate to contact our project manager at sigri.a.nilsen@uit.no.