Hogan Lovell OffshoreBook 2023 230809 OnlinePDF - Flipbook - Page 182
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Utsira Nord consists of three project areas,
each with a minimum of 460 MW and a
maximum of 500 MW of installed capacity.
The Ministry has also opened for the possibility of increasing the capacity for each of
the project areas up to 750 MW per project
area if environmental assessments prove
it feasible. Due to its depth, the area is only
suitable for floating installations. As of now,
the grid connection design is undecided,
including whether the project areas will be
required to cooperate on establishing the
grid connection.
Norway
The allocation of the three areas in Utsira
Nord will be based on a competition using
qualitative criteria. The criteria include
financial and operation capacity to execute
the project (60%), sustainability (20%) and
positive local ripple effects (20%). The government has announced that projects will
get a chance to compete for public subsidies at a later stage, where two of the three
projects will be awarded support through a
two-sided CFD.
[Source: Equinor,
Equinor/https://www.equinor.com/no/energi/utsira-nord]
In 2022, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy requested a recommendation on suitable
offshore areas for wind power development.
The proposal was prepared by NVE and other central actors. The directorate group has
named 20 areas for offshore wind that are
recommended for further assessment. These areas are technically suitable for offshore
wind and have relatively low conflicting
interests. In the later process, comprehensive impact assessments will be conducted to
further narrow down the areas. The directorate group believes it is possible to award
several of these areas in 2025, which would
also likely involve expansions of Sørlige
Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord.
