British-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce’s Post

Two strong applicants for Utsira Nord – an important milestone for Norwegian offshore wind The Ministry of Energy announced today that two consortia have submitted applications to develop floating offshore wind in the Utsira Nord area. This means the process can continue as planned. “This is a great day for Norwegian offshore wind. Two solid applicants confirm that Utsira Nord is an attractive area. It provides genuine competition and keeps Norway’s offshore wind ambitions on track,” says Arvid Nesse, CEO of Norwegian Offshore Wind. The two consortia are: 1. Equinor Utsira Nord AS og Vårgrønn Utsira Nord AS 2. Harald Hårfagre AS (Deep Wind Offshore Norway AS og EDF Renouvelables International SAS) Nesse underlines that while today is a day of relief, it is also a time for evaluation of why the pool of applications was not larger: “This is a clear signal to the authorities that the industry is ready to deliver, but at the same time we must learn from the process and create more predictability going forward. This applies both to the timetable for new licensing rounds and to the criteria and framework conditions for those investing in Norwegian offshore wind farms.” He sees today’s development as the starting gun for further growth: “We look forward to many more days like this in the future.” Provided that the government facilitates an accelerated timeline towards CAPEX support auction and permits, Utsira Nord could become among the first floating offshore wind projects globally. Norwegian Offshore Wind believes the experience gained here will lay the foundation for a strong and competitive Norwegian offshore wind industry in the decades to come. The ministry plans to award the project areas during the first half of 2026. #OffshoreWind #Norway

Vårgrønn is powering the energy transition across the North Sea. ⚡️🌊 Together with the team from Equinor we have worked long to prepare our application for floating wind area at Utsira Nord, and together with Flotation Energy we develop the worlds first large scale floating wind farm Green Volt. The worlds energy need is growing and floating wind can unlock massive renewable power, and through the pioneering projects we build the industry, supply chain and leverage the offshore competences in Scotland and Norway. #offshorewind #floatingwind #greenindustrialpartnership #northsea

A milestone for Norwegian floating wind - Two strong contenders for Utsira Nord The Norwegian Ministry of Energy has confirmed that two consortia have officially applied to develop floating offshore wind at Utsira Nord: 1️⃣ Equinor Utsira Nord AS & Vårgrønn Utsira Nord AS 2️⃣ Harald Hårfagre AS (Deep Wind Offshore Norway AS & EDF RENOUVELABLES INTERNATIONAL SAS) “This is a great day for Norwegian offshore wind. Two solid applicants confirm Utsira Nord’s attractiveness, ensuring real competition and keeping Norway’s ambitions on track,” — Arvid Nesse, CEO, Norwegian Offshore Wind This is a hugely important moment — not just for Norway, but for the global floating wind sector. Utsira Nord is one of the world’s first large-scale floating wind tenders, and the experience gained here will influence how other markets approach the industrialisation of floating wind. At the same time, it’s a reminder of the challenges still facing the industry: how to attract a wider pool of applicants, how to create predictability in auctions and permits, and how to ensure that framework conditions give investors confidence to commit. From my perspective, today’s news underlines that the industry is ready. What’s needed now is policy certainty and a clear pipeline — without it, momentum could stall just as floating wind is on the verge of scaling. If the government can move quickly on CAPEX auctions and permitting, Utsira Nord could be one of the first commercial floating projects in the world — setting the stage for a competitive Norwegian industry for decades to come. 🏁 Project awards are expected in the first half of 2026 #offshorewind #floatingwind #windenergy

Deep Wind Offshore and EDF power solutions applies for lease area at Utsira Nord 🇳🇴🌊 Deep Wind Offshore and EDF Power Solutions today submitted the application for Utsira Nord, a 500 MW floating offshore wind farm near Haugesund, Norway. This could become the first large scale floating project on the Norwegian continental shelf but also one of the first globally. It marks the starting point of the commercialisation of floating offshore wind in Norway. Under the existing framework, the partnership is looking forward to building a floating offshore wind industry in Norway – benefiting local communities, national power supply, and the supply chain 👷🏻 The partnership has put in significant efforts to the Utsira Nord project since 2021. Deep Wind Offshore’s unrivalled local foundation combined with EDF Power Solutions’ experience means the partnership is well placed to develop the project. 📸 From EDF Power Solutions’ floating wind project Provence Grand Large. In the picture is Solstad Offshore’s Nordman Installer. Photo: EDF Power Solutions 🗞️Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/debrhXQc

News from Norway! Today, September 15, marked the application deadline for Utsira Nord, one of Norway’s flagship floating offshore wind projects. Three equally sized areas, each planned for the development of a 500 MW floating wind farm, were up for grabs. After some concern over multiple developers withdrawing, two consortia have submitted bids: - Equinor/Vårgrønn - Deep Wind Offshore/EDF power solutions But does this mean projects are guaranteed to move forward? Not quite. All applicants must first pass a qualification process, where projects will be evaluated based on five key criteria: - Cost level, realism, and maturity - Innovation and technology development - Feasibility - Sustainability - Positive ripple effects Only after this process — likely in 2026–2027 — will one winning project receive State Aid in the form of a direct grant. The scheme (see decision here https://lnkd.in/d3KkAkex) has a maximum budget of NOK 35 billion (approx. EUR 2.95 billion). The project with the lowest aid/MW bid will be selected. If the full budget is used, it could reduce the cost of generation by approximately EUR 47/MWh (based on 2.1 TWh/year over 30 years). At AFRY, we’re proud to have supported the Norwegian government in identifying the 20 approved offshore wind areas. We’re also ready to support developers in crafting their offshore wind strategies. Contact our local leaders, Kathrine Stene Bakke or Lars Ragnar Solberg, if you would like to learn more about what we can help you with. #AFRY #makingfuture #engineeredbyAFRY #Norway #Offshorewind #energytransition

📩 The latest edition of reNEWS has been published to all reNEWS Premium subscribers this morning! In this week’s subscriber-only edition of reNEWS readers can expect: 📰 Exclusive news of a government’s accelerated review of its offshore wind site development strategy that could have major implications for the evolution of a key European market. 📰 Exclusive news of a row between developers over a consent application for a gigawatt-scale offshore wind farm, as well as the regulatory steps being taken to address commissioning delays at an offshore transmission asset. 📰 Onshore wind news includes a first look at plans for a project with the potential to become the largest capacity array in a leading European market. 📰 Exclusive updates on the European onshore wind sector from HUSUM WIND in Germany last week, where Senior Editor Sian Crampsie was on the ground to get the latest insights from industry players. 📰 Additional trade show coverage comes from Scottish Renewables and RenewableUK’s Onshore Wind Conference 2025 last week, where senior figures from industry and government had their say on the big issues facing the sector ahead of a potentially transformational period of project deployment. 📰 Offshore Wind Editor Paul Stephen was also on the road to visit the Steel River Quay facility in Teesside, north-east England, where plans are being drawn up for an £80m expansion to cater to the region’s growing offshore wind pipeline. 📰 Readers will also get the regular diet of scoops and exclusive insights from across the global offshore and onshore wind markets, including in-depth coverage of the resumption of construction this week at Ørsted’s 704MW Revolution Wind off the US after the Danish giant successfully overturned the government’s stop-work order. ⭐ Subscribe to reNEWS Premium for all this exclusive news & business intelligence you won't find anywhere else! ⭐ Take a free trial to receive the 3 latest editions 👉 https://lnkd.in/gQw944a 📷 Photo credit: McAllister Towing #reNEWSPremium #renewableenergy #subscribe #exclusivenews #businessintelligence

Two consortiums backed by Norwegian oil firm Equinor and French utility EDF respectively have submitted applications in Norway’s inaugural floating offshore wind tender. As there are 3 areas of 500MW open for grabs, Nordsjø Energi AS has asked the Norwegian Ministry of Energy to develop the third area without any State aid. Astrid Bergmål EnergiWatch Teknisk Ukeblad Stavanger Aftenblad Jonas Messel Larsen Europower Anders Misund Bjørg Davidsen Jannicke Nilsen

Engie-EDPR tie-up will concentrate on activities in other markets while local developer assumes full control of 700MW Baltic offshore wind project https://lnkd.in/eebay-ut

Deep Wind Offshore has secured a positive recommendation from the County Administrative Board of Uppsala for its planned Olof Skötkonung offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Gävle https://lnkd.in/eEvwpagw