Norway has unveiled an ambitious large-scale investment scheme for 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040. The capacity corresponds to almost as much power as Norway produces today. As the Norwegian power grid will not be able to handle such a large amount of power, a significant portion of the electricity is planned to be exported to other countries.
The government is planning a step-by-step allocation of sea areas. The goal is to open a total area about 5-6 times the size of the Sørlige Nordsjø II, or around 1% of the Norwegian sea area. Licensing rounds for new acreage should kick off in 2025.
“With this ambition, we go from the two offshore wind turbines that are in operation today to about 1500 offshore wind turbines. The construction will take place over the next 20 years,” said the country’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre.
The government will facilitate a large-scale offshore wind development that allows for the use of various grid solutions. Cables with two-way power flow, radials to Europe, and radials to Norway will be considered for each call. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) and the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) will study the consequences of the alternatives.
“We must be fast, but also wise. Our ambition corresponds to a power volume that is on par with the entire Norwegian power system. Therefore, we must do this step by step, learning along the way. We want to preserve what is Norway’s most important advantage in the power area: a secure and efficient power supply that is developed in a gentle way in interaction with fisheries and other important interests,” added minister of petroleum and energy Terje Aasland.
