Ørsted has joined a consortium with Fred. Olsen Renewables and Hafslund Eco to develop offshore wind in Norway and to compete in the country’s upcoming application round for offshore wind areas.
The Norwegian part of the North Sea holds great potential for the development of large-scale offshore wind farms that can supply green energy to Norwegian industries and households – and potentially also to other countries in the North Sea through the offshore grid.
“This partnership is an important step for Ørsted, as we expand our footprint in the Nordics,” says Martin Neubert, CCO and deputy group CEO of Ørsted. “At the same time, we have made the strategic choice to drive the commercialization of floating offshore wind to unlock the massive potential of the technology around the world.”
The three parties see the cooperation as the perfect fit for realizing large-scale offshore wind projects in combination with an offshore grid. The consortium aims to deliver both bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind power while developing the Norwegian supply chain for the expected large-scale build-out of offshore wind in Norway and Europe.
Ørsted, Hafslund Eco and Fred. Olsen Renewables will be equal partners in the consortium which will be applying for licenses in both areas appointed by the Norwegian government – Utsira Nord and Sørlige Nordsjø II. The upcoming allocation round is expected to consist of up to 4.5 GW across the two areas, with the technical potential being much higher.
Photo by magnetismus is licensed under CC BY 2.0
