Posted on February 12, 2025
The Norwegian government has cancelled plans for another fixed-bottom offshore wind tender in the North Sea due to cost concerns, shifting its focus toward developing floating offshore wind projects.
On 10 February, the Ministry of Energy announced that it no longer plans to advertise the Sørvest F later this year, which is an extension of the 1.5 GW Sørlige Nordsjø II (Southern North Sea) area that was won by Ventyr Energi, a consortium of Parkwind and Ingka Investments, in a tender in 2024.
The decision was made following a study by the transmission system operator (TSO) Statnett, which offered possible grid solutions for connecting new offshore wind from the Sørvest F area to the onshore grid.
According to Statnett, the TSO evaluated five grid concepts, one connecting to the Norwegian mainland and four hybrid concepts that also linked to neighbouring countries.
The study outlined that offshore wind production connected to hybrid grid solutions would require state support. The TSO also emphasized the need for further technological development before a larger, interconnected offshore grid in Europe (the North Sea grid) can be considered.
“We are currently facing high costs, both related to offshore wind production and associated grid solutions. It is clear from the study by Statnett that hybrid cables will not solve these challenges. Offshore wind production will depend on significant government support, regardless of which grid solution we propose,” said Terje Aasland, Minister of Energy.
