Norwegian energy company Equinor, Germany’s RWE Renewables and Norwegian metals maker Hydro have teamed up for the development of offshore wind projects in Norway.
They have signed a collaboration agreement, with plans to jointly prepare and submit an application to develop a large-scale, bottom-fixed offshore wind farm in the Sørlige Nordsjø II area in the Norwegian North Sea.
The announcement comes as the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has opened two 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.
According to the companies, the Sørlige Nordsjø II area has among the best wind resources in the world, with water depths of between 53 metres and 70 metres.
They believe the area has the potential to deliver a “significant amount” of renewable energy to countries aiming to transform their energy mix, following the EU’s and UK’s ambitions for 300GW and 100GW respectively of offshore wind capacity by 2050 to reach their net zero goals.
The partnership between the three firms represents a combination of experience and expertise in offshore wind development, energy market insight and large-scale industrial project execution.
Pål Eitrheim, Equinor’s Executive Vice President 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.
“Between Equinor, RWE, and Hydro we have the industrial capabilities, from the turbine to the consumer, to create value and supply renewable power to Europe.”
