Norway’s offshore wind industry has hailed government plans to assess 20 more areas for potential projects as another big step forward for the sector in the country, especially as the majority are suitable for floating turbines.

The Norwegian Water Resources & Energy Directorate (NVE) on Tuesday unveiled mapping of possible new development areas from Skagerak in the south to the northern Barents Sea that it said are “technically suitable for offshore wind and where conflicts of interest are relatively low” (see map at foot).