Norwegian renewable energy developers Vårgrønn and Å Energi, together with UK-based Corio Generation have entered into a partnership dedicated to developing sustainable offshore wind in Norway.
The consortium will operate under the Brigg Vind brand, which was launched in the lead-up to the first Norwegian offshore wind tenders expected to open later this month.
“Brigg Vind represents a unique combination of global offshore wind expertise and decades of national energy market know-how”, said Steffen Syvertsen , Group CEO at Å Energi.
Brigg Vind announced that it will initially tare the first round of awards for offshore wind in the Sørlige Nordsjø II area, in the Southern part of the North Sea.
Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy plans to tender Utsira Nord and the first phase of the Southern North Sea II (Sørlige Nordsjø II) offshore wind areas by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
The Norwegian Government plans to award up to 1,500 MW of capacity in the first phase of the Southern North Sea II offshore wind area.
Vårgrønn is the project manager for the Brigg Vind consortium.
Norway set a target to award areas equivalent to 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040, with the ambition for Norwegian companies to capture ten per cent of the global offshore wind supply market by 2030, the consortium said.
According to research commissioned by the Brigg Vind partners, Norway’s potential for commercial offshore wind capacity could exceed 50 GW by 2050, potentially creating more than 55,000 new offshore wind jobs in Norway.
“We see huge commercial potential in the Norwegian offshore wind market. We see 50 GW by 2050 as a realistic target. Together with our partners, we are now ready to deliver the first round of projects by 2030″, said Olav Hetland , CEO of Vårgrønn.
“Our shared vision is that Norway delivers on its long-term ambition to become a major force in offshore wind power. This can be Norway’s next big growth sector, drawing on the country’s offshore and maritime skills base and heritage in pioneering renewable energy”, said Jonathan Cole , CEO of Corio Generation.