The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announces changes to the call for applications to develop offshore wind in Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord.
The application deadline for Sørlige Nordsjø II is now 15 November 2023. The changes have been made to avoid delays to the process of allocating project areas.
The changes are:
- The criteria of “sustainability” and “positive local ripple effects” have now been changed from prequalification criteria to minimum requirements that applicants must meet. This is to enable the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) to quickly approve any state aid awarded. This also means that applicants will no longer be assessed against each other in these two categories.
- The minimum requirements will also be included as contractual requirements in the contract for difference.
- “Positive local ripple effects” has been changed to “positive ripple effects” to make it clear that these ripple effects are not limited to Norway.
The application deadline for project areas in Utsira Nord has also been postponed to ensure sufficient time for all actors to update and deliver their applications. A new application deadline is expected during the first quarter of 2024.
Read the government’s own press release (in Norwegian) on regjeringen.no: Oppdatert utlysning for havvind i Sørlige Nordsjø II og Utsira Nord
