The Norwegian government has announced its first offshore wind tenders as part of its ambition of allocating areas to generate 30GW by 2040.
Its Ministry of Petroleum and Energy is looking for bids in two areas on the Norwegian continental shelf: Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord.
The application deadline for Sørlige Nordsjø II is 4 of August 2023 and for Utsira Nord 1 of September 2023.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “Leading Norway through the green shift is one of our major tasks as a government.
“In order to further develop Norway, the answer to almost all questions is that we need more energy production. And that is why today marks a milestone.
“The government’s ambition is to allocate areas for 30,000 MW offshore wind by 2040, which is almost on par with Norway’s total power production last year.
The Energy Commission’s report, which was presented earlier this year, points out that Norway needs to build more renewable power faster than before, by doing several things at the same time.
Therefore, the work to assess new areas for offshore wind has already started and the government plans a new announcement of further offshore wind areas in 2025.
Store added: “Norway has great opportunities in offshore wind.
“Our areas at sea, are five times larger than areas on land. And there is a lot of wind along our coast.
“In addition, we have skilled professionals and companies that will contribute to develop this technology.”
Vattenfall and Seagust have formed a JV to bid for both areas.
Ane Mette Lysbech-Kleis, Head of Vattenfall Offshore development, added: “We congratulate Norwegian authorities on this important step. Offshore wind is a key part of Vattenfall’s strategy to become fossil free within one generation.
“We already operate Scandinavia’s largest offshore wind farm in Denmark, we are building the world’s first subsidy-free offshore wind farm in Holland, and recently we received the right to develop Finland’s first major offshore wind farm.
“The joint venture with Seagust represents our entry into the Norwegian wind market. We look forward to working together and developing what will surely become a successful industry in Norway.”