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Norwegian North Sea Use Case

SINTEF Ocean will lead the work on the demonstrator case ‘Utsira’ situated in the Norwegian North Sea, Utsira Kommune is Norway’s smallest municipality by population. As of recent figures, it has around 200 inhabitants. The island itself is quite small, with an area of about 6.3 square kilometres. It’s made up of rugged coastal landscapes, with cliffs and rocky shores that are typical of the western Norwegian coastline.

Utsira is notable for its pioneering role in renewable energy. It was home to the world’s first wind-hydrogen power system in 2004, developed as part of a project to demonstrate renewable energy's potential in small, isolated communities. This system combined wind turbines with hydrogen storage, made Utsira an internationally recognized symbol for innovative sustainable energy solutions.

Besides that, Utsira is a famous destination for birdwatchers. The island's unique location makes it a hotspot for migratory birds, and many rare species have been observed there. It has a reputation as one of the best places for birdwatching in Norway, especially during the migration periods in spring and autumn.

Utsira Nord, located about 22 kilometres off the coast of Utsira island, is a significant offshore wind development area in Norway. It is one of the areas the Norwegian government has designated for offshore wind power production, representing an important step in Norway's ambitions to develop renewable energy sources, particularly in the realm of floating offshore wind technology. Utsira Nord has been designated as a space for 3 GW of wind energy production capacity, specifically focused on floating wind projects. With the advent of offshore wind farms off their coast, Utsira has a goal of population growth.

In SEADOTs, we will apply Ostrom’s model to the area of Utsira for sustainable governance and policymaking in this demographically special and ecologically sensitive area.