As the WIMBY project enters its final phase,, we’re gearing up for the last series of interactive workshops — this time in the unique coastal region of Rogaland, Norway. These concluding sessions mark a pivotal moment in the project, bringing together the insights gathered across our four pilot sites and setting the stage for in-depth analysis of the data collected.
Rogaland stands out among WIMBY’s pilot locations due to the advanced stage of its wind farm development plans. A demonstration offshore wind farm is currently proposed, with a capacity of up to 85 MW, along with a new power line to connect it to the grid. The site will also serve as a testbed for ecological monitoring, featuring cutting-edge tools like AI-assisted bird trackers to evaluate impacts on local wildlife and inform future mitigation strategies.
The workshops will take place in Karmøy, a municipality on Norway’s west coast known for its hilly, agricultural terrain and rich cultural heritage. Here, offshore wind farms are already visible from large sections of the coastline, often used for recreation. The surrounding area also includes a planned landscape conservation zone and three existing conservation areas within a 6–15 km radius — all factors that add complexity to the ongoing planning discussions.
One of the key strengths of this pilot is that it allows WIMBY to test its tools and methodologies in a real-world scenario where wind energy development is already well underway. Thanks to an existing environmental impact assessment and marine test site infrastructure, researchers can directly study how different types of offshore wind turbines affect the local marine ecosystem.
These workshops, as with the previous ones held in Austria, Italy, and Portugal, will include demonstrations of WIMBY’s interactive tools, including our 3D visualisation and siting systems. They are designed to empower stakeholders — from community members to local authorities — with the knowledge and confidence to engage in complex decisions around renewable energy planning.
Importantly, this final round of workshops will help us wrap up the community engagement phase and begin the next stage of the project: analysing the input, feedback, and data gathered from all four pilot sites. These findings will be essential to evaluate WIMBY’s impact and prepare recommendations for inclusive, sustainable wind energy development across Europe.
Stay tuned!
Follow WIMBY on Twitter and LinkedIn
Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter 👇