Equinor and RWE are to continue their collaboration on the development of a bottom-fixed offshore wind farm in the Sørlige Nordsjø 2 zone offshore Norway after Hydro Rein decided not to participate in this competition round.
Hydro Rein has justified its decision by saying that it will be setting other priorities in its portfolio and that the decision not to participate in the Norwegian auction is based on an overall assessment.
Hydro Rein’s decision will not affect the progress of the application for pre-qualification or preparations for an auction for acreage in the Sørlige Nordsjø 2 later, the partners said.
The partnership between the three companies was announced in May 2021 and built on common goals and ambitions.
Siri Espedal Kindem , Head of Equinor Renewable Norway, said: ”We would have liked to have Hydro Rein on board, but it is not uncommon for changes in cooperation to occur at an early stage of a project development like this. We will continue our good work with RWE going forward. There is strong collaboration between our two companies, both of which have a wealth of industrial experience in offshore wind.”
The authorities have been informed of Hydro Rein’s decision and the change will not affect Equinor and RWE’s application for pre-qualification in the zone, the partners said.
Pål Coldevin , RWE’s Executive Vice President for Offshore Development in the wider Nordic region, said: ”Norway has everything it takes to be a leading offshore wind market in the future. At RWE we want to support this. As one of the leading companies in offshore wind globally, we prepare to participate in the upcoming offshore wind tenders in Norway. Building on the experience and expertise of both Equinor and RWE, our teams are working hard to deliver our joint application for Sørlige Nordsjø 2.”
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Back in late March, Norway launched its first offshore wind auction . The combined capacity offered in the first auction round is 3 GW, split equally across two areas on the Norwegian continental shelf: Sørlige Nordsjø 2 (Southern North Sea 2) and Utsira Nord.
The rights to develop the first phase of the Sørlige Nordsjø 2 will be awarded to one candidate through a pre-qualification round followed by an auction and award by the end of 2023.
The minimum capacity proposed must be 1,400 MW, and the maximum capacity 1,500 MW.