The Norwegian government has opened a floating offshore wind tender for the Utsira Nord site.
The Ministry of Energy is seeking applications for three project areas in Utsira Nord, each with an installed capacity of up to 500MW.
Minister of Energy Terje Aasland said: “This marks an important step forward for the government’s offshore wind initiative.
“In addition to ensuring power production for a part of the country with a high energy demand, this announcement represents significant opportunities for new contracts for the supply industry.”
The allocation of project areas for offshore wind and state support will occur in two steps, with a maturation phase in between.
In the first step, three project areas will be awarded to the companies who score highest in a competition based on objective and non-discriminatory criteria.
The qualitative criteria are cost level, realism and maturity, innovation and technology development, implementation capacity, sustainability, and positive ripple effects.
Operators wishing to participate in the competition are invited to submit their applications before 15 September.
Aasland said: “I look forward to receiving strong applications from the offshore wind industry.
“Utsira Nord is an important first step in the development of commercial floating offshore wind farms on the Norwegian continental shelf.
“The model for allocating project areas and state support is tailored to floating offshore wind and will contribute to both technology development and cost reductions for subsequent projects.
“The model has been developed in close dialogue with the offshore wind industry.”
The competition for state funding will be carried out after a maturation phase.
One entity will be awarded state funding, and the winner will be the one who bids the lowest funding requirement to realise their project.
It will not be allowed to bid higher than the upper limit for state funding of 35 billion Norwegian kroner, as established by the Parliament.