Wind Energy – Norway
Equinor and its partner Vargronn, and EDF and partner Deep Wind Offshore, each won a site of around 500 megawatt capacity in the qualitative first phase of Norway’s floating wind tender for the Utsira Nord (North) area.
The consortia, which were the only competitors in the tender round, have secured the right to apply for a licence and compete for state aid of up to DKK 35 billion (USD 5.49bn/EUR 4.68bn), with the support set to go to the bidder seeking the lowest level of aid to complete the project.
Licence applications should be submitted within two years of the determination of the impact assessment programme, the Ministry of Energy said last Thursday.
The tender for Utsira Nord was launched in May, offering three separate project areas. Each of those areas has the potential to host up to 500 MW of floating offshore wind capacity, located in Southwestern Norway close to the Utsira island and 30 km away from the coastal city of Haugesund.
EDF and Deep Wind Offshore confirmed their award, stating that their planned offshore wind farm will be capable of producing power for approximately 300,000 Norwegians. With the development lease in place, the companies will be able to start the environmental permitting process and site condition studies before applying for a subsidy.
