Norway is due to move forward with its plans for the Utsira Nord floating wind projects as they have now received applications from two consortia of companies that aim to establish a footprint in the wind power sector in the Viking nation. Norway’s Ministry of Energy announced its plans in May of this year to allocate land to the applicants following a lengthy and essential competition to determine who the best candidate might be. As the Norwegian government has received two bids from reliable applicants, the plans can now move into the next phase.
Two consortia have applied for the rights to establish large floating wind farms in the region
Norway is not the biggest country in Europe by a long stretch, but they have that deep-rooted Viking spirit of never giving up despite the odds. The nation has opted to hold a competition of sorts to determine which of the two consortia would be the best candidate.
The first applicant is made up of a joint venture between Deep Wind Offshore and EDF Renewables called Harald Hårfagre, while the second is a consortium of Equinor and Vårgrønn. The region in Noirway has been allocated for large-scale wind projects that would enable the country to become more energy self-sufficient.
Norway’s Ministry of Energy is now faced with the tough task of assessing the applications and plans to allocate project sites during the first half of 2026. It would be remiss of us not to mention that there are no financial obligations or fees associated with the allocation of land.
Norway’s Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland, praised the applicants for the planned allocation of land in the lucrative region.
“It is encouraging that two consortia, consisting of strong players, have applied to take part in the competition for floating offshore wind in Utsira Nord.” – Norway’s Minister of Energy Terje Aasland
The application process now moves into the next phase before the allocation takes place
The country’s government has stated that during the first stage, the sites will be allocated to developers who score the highest in a competition based on qualitative criteria, which include:
- Cost level and maturity
- Innovation and technology development
- Feasibility
- Sustainability
- Positive ripple effects
Following the first phase, the campaign moves into phase two, which consists of assessing the applicants before allowing the allocation of state aid. The competitive tender for state aid is expected to be held in 2028/29.
Other European nations have also awarded large-scale offshore wind projects to a consortium of companies, so one can expect the forecast for the wind power sector to continue to grow as time passes by. Norway’s Minister of Energy followed up his initial statement by undercoring the country’s perception of the wind power sector.
“Offshore wind is one of the government’s key focus areas to ensure sufficient power supply in the years ahead. During the development phase, floating offshore wind in Utsira Nord will play an important role in advancing technology and reducing costs. By investing in offshore wind, we are also laying a solid foundation for Norwegian suppliers to compete in the development of future offshore wind projects,” – Norway’s Minister of Energy Terje Aasland
Several European nations have made substantial investments in the wind power sector
Following the news that France has approved the sale of the Normandy offshore wind project to TotalEnergies, and the report that Norway will allocate land for its planned wind power projects, it would appear that wind power usage will continue to grow. Even the United States has massive wind projects currently under construction, despite the apparent disdain for wind power that the current administration has. Wind power is one of the cleanest and viable energy generation solutions that the world needs to embrace.
