After several delays, Norway is ready to launch its first ever offshore wind round, seeking to award a 1500 MW fixed project
The Norwegian Ministry of Energy has announced the qualified bidders for the Sørlige Nordsjø II site, a 1500 MW project area located 140 km off Norway’s southwest coast. The round will be Norway’s first venture into fixed offshore wind, with a goal of the project being operational around 2030. The five qualified applications are:
- Aker Offshore Wind, BP, Statkraft
- Equinor, RWE
- Norseman Wind ( Energie Baden-Wüttemberg AG)
- Shell, Lyse, Eviny
- Ventyr (Parkwind, Ingka)
Seven applications for qualification were originally submitted, including an application from Chinese Mingyang Smart Energy. A number of developers have also withdrawn from the round, after having initially expressed interest. Due to inflation, high interest rates and supply- chain constraints, developers have expressed concerns about the profitability and the level of subsidy on offer for the project.
The site will be awarded through an auction round hosted on March 18, with the lowest monetary bid determining the winner.
Image Credit: Statkraft
