Industrial groups Norsk Hydro of Norway and Siemens of Germany said June 26 they had reached agreement to develop floating wind turbines that could be installed on the high seas.
The goal would be to locate the turbines in areas with the strongest winds and that are less likely to mar the visual perspective, the two groups said.
Under the agreement Siemens would provide Norsk Hydro with a demonstration turbine to be tested off the Norwegian coast.
Norsk Hydro currently has a concession to install a demonstration turbine off Karmoey, in southwest Norway, but is also considering locating an experimental turbine near an oil platform that would be powered by "clean electricity," according to the statement.
Off-shore installations are currently powered by natural gas, which account for a quarter of Norway's carbon dioxide emissions.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007
