The partners will jointly prepare and submit an application to the Norwegian authorities to develop a large-scale bottom-fixed offshore wind farm in the Sørlige Nordsjø II area in the Norwegian North Sea.
The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has opened 2 areas for offshore renewables (Utsira Nord and Sørlige Nordsjø II) and is currently working on the licensing process for offshore wind power projects in Norway.
Pål Eitrheim, Equinor’s executive VP New Energy Solutions, said:
- The North Sea has among the world’s best wind resources
- A large-scale offshore wind farm at Sørlige Nordsjø II could play a key role in expanding the North Sea as an offshore energy hub and create new industrial opportunities for Norway as an energy nation
- Offshore wind is key for meeting the increasing demand for renewable power, supporting local industries and creating new, future-proof jobs
- We will bring our 20 years of experience and expertise in the offshore industry together with our partners to contribute in delivering Norway’s offshore wind ambitions
- Offshore wind will be an important component in the future energy mix to decarbonize Europe and reach the 2050 targets
- For Hydro, this cooperation is part of our strategy to diversify and explore growth opportunities in new energy
The area has a potential to deliver a significant amount of renewable energy to countries aiming to transform their energy mix, following EU’s and the UK’s stated ambitions for 300 GW and 100 GW respectively of offshore wind capacity by 2050 to reach their net zero ambitions.
Equinor and RWE have already jointly developed the 385-megawatt Arkona offshore wind farm in the German part of the Baltic Sea.
This was successfully commissioned in 2019 and is delivering sustainable renewable electricity for the equivalent of 400 000 German households.
