Norway assessing three new areas for offshore wind farms

The Norwegian Government has instructed the country’s Directorate of Water Resources and Energy (NVE) to start assessing three new offshore wind areas so that they can be open for tendering in 2025.

For the tendering round in 2025, NVE has recommended that the government consider the possibility of the already open areas Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord being expanded with the Sørvest F and Vestavind F fields. Also, the government wants to carry out a strategic impact analysis of the Vestavind B area. The three new fields were chosen among 20 proposed areas submitted to the government in April.

The Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord areas were opened based on a strategic impact assessment from 2012. Based on that assessment, 3GW could be developed in Sørlige North Sea II and 1.5GW in Utsira Nord.

The proposed expansion in Sørvest F and Vestavind F changes the conditions from the 2012 analysis, and a new strategic impact analysis must be carried out.

The government also told NVE to carry out a strategic impact assessment of the Vestavind B area which has good wind conditions and a lot of existing infrastructure as well as established interests in the area.

According to a statement from the government, the strategic impact assessments linked to the 2025 round must be delivered to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy before the end of November 2024.

NVE has also been commissioned to start with strategic impact assessments of the other areas that are relevant for tendering forward towards 2040. These assessments are scheduled to be completed before the end of June 2025. It is worth noting that Norway plans to have 30 GW of offshore wind in operation by 2040.

“We have a great need for new, renewable power in the coming years, and offshore wind can contribute a significant part of this power. At the same time, the development of a domestic market can provide exciting opportunities for further developing the Norwegian supplier industry,” said Terje Aasland, Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy.