Three New Offshore Wind Areas Under Consideration for 2025 Opening

The Norwegian government is taking significant steps toward furthering its commitment to offshore wind energy.

In yesterday's press release , the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced that the government has tasked the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) with the initiation of strategic impact assessments for three prospective offshore wind areas.

These areas are being evaluated for potential opening and auctioning in 2025:

1. Sørvest F: Located in the central regions of the North Sea, approximately situated between Norway and Denmark, Sørvest F covers a vast area of 2,702 square kilometers. This area is earmarked for fixed-bottom technology, with a minimum distance of 152 kilometers from the coastline.

2. Vestavind F: Situated in the North Sea, off the coast of Rogaland and Utsira, Vestavind F encompasses an area of 1,989 square kilometers. Like Vestavind B, this area is designated for floating technology, with a minimal distance of just 7 kilometers from the coastline.

3.Vestavind B: Positioned in the North Sea, off the coast of Vestland and adjacent to the Wergelandbasen in Sløvåg, known for being the assembly site of Hywind Tampen. Vestavind B boasts a total area of 2,985 square kilometers and is designated for floating technology. The coastline is a mere 30 kilometers away.

Read full press release (in Norwegian).

– It's great news that we are now moving towards a new round of allocations in 2025. This will be crucial for boosting investment confidence in the supplier industry and the offshore wind sector as a whole. The Vestavind B area stands out to us as particularly significant in meeting the growing energy demand in the Vestland region, says Kai Stoltz, Business Development Manager in GCE Ocean Technology.

Background on previous offshore wind areas

Two offshore wind areas, Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord, were initially opened following a strategic impact assessment in 2012. The original assessment laid the foundation for a capacity of 3,000 MW in the Sørlige Nordsjø II area and 1,500 MW in the Utsira Nord area.

However, the proposed expansions in Sørvest F and Vestavind F alter the assumptions made in the 2012 assessment. Consequently, a new strategic impact assessment is deemed necessary to thoroughly examine the effects of these capacity expansions.

Key Points from the Press Release:

• The Norwegian government is committed to developing Norway as a prominent offshore wind nation.
• Offshore wind is seen as a significant contributor to meeting the country's growing demand for renewable energy.
• Expansion of already opened areas, Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord, is under consideration for the 2025 round.
• A strategic impact assessment is planned for the Vestavind B area.
• NVE had previously identified 20 potential offshore wind areas, and now, they are advancing with strategic assessments for three of these areas in preparation for the 2025 round and beyond.
• Timelines have been set for the submission of assessments.
• Collaboration with relevant authorities has been a cornerstone of the process.

Timeline for strategic impact assessments

The strategic impact assessments associated with the 2025 round are expected to be delivered to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy by the end of November 2024.

Furthermore, NVE has been tasked with commencing strategic impact assessments for other areas that are earmarked for future openings leading up to 2040. According to the plan, these assessments are scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2025.