A consortium which consists
of EnBW, ASKO Fornybar / NorgesGruppen and Norseman Wind has unveiled plans
to apply for a license to expand offshore wind in the Southern North Sea
II.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy opened a licensing round for offshore
wind in the Southern North Sea II and Utsira North, on 1st January 2021.
The consortium has decided to apply for a license in the Southern North
Sea II for an area of 400 square kilometers and a capacity of 1,400
MW.
Aker Solutions is the preferred partner and will build the foundations
and be responsible for the installation. The operation, logistics and maintenance
bases will be established in Rogaland and Agder.
"We have a robust business model that does not need government subsidies.
At least half of the development costs of NOK 30-35 billion will go to
the Norwegian supplier industry, at the same time as we supply more power
to Norway," said Harald Dirdal, partner in Norseman Wind.
"We believe that Sørlige Nordsjø II is particularly suitable for bottom-fixed
technology and have therefore established a consortium that has extensive
experience from the North Sea and with developing and operating bottom-fixed
offshore wind farms. Our business model means that we do not need government
subsidies. Thus, the state's green money can rather be spent on floating
offshore wind on Utsira North, as well as on hydrogen and carbon capture,"
added Dirdal.
"We are committed to giving our Norwegian partners the experience
necessary to compete in the global market for offshore wind. Through this
project on Sørlige Nordsjø II, a complete Norwegian value chain for offshore
wind is being developed. Our ambition is that at least 50 percent of the
project will go to Norwegian supplier companies," commented Holger
Grubel; Head of Portfolio Development Offshore Wind in the German energy
company EnBW.
"The Norseman development will add significant amounts of new power
to Norway. Not least, NorgesGruppen will be self-sufficient in renewable
energy. This releases 1.0 TWh in the Norwegian power market. Norges-Gruppen's
ambition is to be climate neutral in 2030," said Torbjørn Johannson,
chairman of the board of ASKO and board member of NorgesGruppen.
"Most offshore wind projects in Northern Europe over the next 10-15
years will be based on bottom-fixed technology. Therefore, Norseman's project
in the Southern North Sea II will be very important for developing a competitive
Norwegian supplier industry. Norseman will kickstart this and help create
a great many new jobs in Norway," concluded Dirdal.