Norway to assess three offshore wind areas for 2025 tender

September 15 (Renewables Now) - The Norwegian government has asked the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) to conduct strategic impact assessments of three offshore wind areas that may be relevant for opening and tendering in 2025, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy said on Thursday.

Norway opened two areas, Sorlige Nordsjo II and Utsira Nord, for offshore wind in 2020 and is currently running its first offshore wind tenders for these sites.

For the 2025 tendering round, NVE has recommended that the government consider the possibility of expanding Sorlige Nordsjo II and Utsira Nord with the Southwest F and Westwind F zones. In addition, the government wants to conduct a strategic impact assessment of the Vestavind B area, which offers good wind conditions and significant existing infrastructure. These assessments should be ready by the end of November 2024.

The move comes after in April NVE presented 20 new possible areas for offshore wind generation on the Norwegian continental shelf.

NVE has also been commissioned to prepare strategic impact assessments of the other areas by the end of June 2025.

The Norwegian government has a target of allocating 30 GW of offshore wind areas by 2040.