Application deadline for Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord postponed

On 8 August 2023 at 16 CET, the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) announced that the deadline for applying for pre-qualification in the licensing process within Sørlige Nordsjø II, Phase I (SNII) and Utsira Nord (UN) have been postponed from 1 September 2023 until 1 November 2023.

The background for such postponement is in short that ESA needs – as set out in the tender documents - to pre-approve the state aid related to the development of offshore projects within SNII and UN. ESA has confirmed to the MPE that such approval will take some more time than initially anticipated, the Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy (CEEAG as of 2022).

The consequence of this postponement is that announcement of the licenses to both SNII and UN (the first offshore wind areas in Norway) may first take place approximately 2 months later, i.e., early 2024. Naturally, this affects the originally announced timeline the various consortia have worked in line with, including the related resources and costs involved. Necessary amendments in the applications may be necessary due to the postponed deadline.

The minister of petroleum and energy, Mr. Terje Aasland, maintains the goal that the first turbines within these areas shall be operative by 2030, in addition to keep up the preparation work for opening of new offshore wind areas by 2025.

The MPE has stated that the intention is to work targeted towards shortening the postponement period, including the auction timing.  

See link to the MPE's press release, cf. the government's announcement on its web page (not available in English, but let us know if you want to discuss the content more in detail):

Utsetter søknadsfristen for Sørlige Nordsjø II og Utsira Nord - regjeringen.no