Newsletter

Updates on Offshore Wind on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

Published: 11 February 2022

On Wednesday 9 February 2022, the government held a press conference on their "grand-scale initiative on offshore wind". In short, the government announced that the first phase of Southern North Sea II will be 1500 MW with grid connection through cable to onshore Norway, and based on an auction process. For phase two, the remaining 1500 MW, the grid connection will be further reviewed.

In June 2020, two areas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) were opened for offshore wind activities, Utsira North and Southern North Sea II (SN II). In addition, a separate Offshore Energy Regulations was introduced, which provides regelation for the concession process. Link to article from June 2020.

This was followed up by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) in June 2021 when they published a White paper on offshore wind licenses and proposed amendments to the Offshore Energy Act and the Offshore Energy Regulations, with a consultation process during the fall of 2021. Link to article from June 2020.

The press conference was a follow-up of this consultation process, and the government stated that it will propose to the Parliament certain amendments to the Offshore Energy Act and the Offshore Energy Regulations this spring. Very few details were presented, but the main elements were:

First phase of SN II will be 1500 MW with cable to onshore Norway based on an auction process. An auction model will be developed by the MPE.

The MPE issued a public consultation memo on the proposal for dividing the opened areas into smaller concession areas, with a deadline for comments on 29 April 2022.
- For Utsira North two alternatives are proposed; 1) to divide Utsira North into four areas – two on 500 MW + two on 250 MW, or 2) to divide Utsira North into three areas – two on 600 MW + one on 300 MW.
- For SN II it is proposed to divide the area into three areas (all on 1500 MW), with only two of them being open for applications.

The grid connection for phase II of SN II and Utsira North will be further evaluated, and the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) is asked to review grid connections for offshore wind at the NCS more generally and provide its report by 1 October 2022.

The MPE has asked NVE to identify new areas for offshore wind at the NCS and provide a report by 30 April 2023. NVE shall involve other public bodies in its work.

Read the press release here.
Read the consultation memo here.