Seven groups apply for Norway’s offshore wind tender

Seven groups of energy companies have sought pre-qualification for Norway’s first commercial offshore wind farm tender, the government said on Wednesday, while several others dropped out of the race as soaring costs dampened interest.

The tender offers the opportunity to build bottom-fixed wind turbines in the North Sea with a capacity of 1.5 gigawatts, in what Norway hopes will be the starting point for massive offshore power developments in the years leading up to 2040.

“Despite large cost increases for the global offshore wind industry recently, there are several strong players applying to be able to participate in the auction round,” Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland said in a statement.

Companies such as Equinor (EQNR.OL), RWE (RWEG.DE), BP (BP.L) and Shell (SHEL.L) were all involved in the tender as members of larger consortia.

Also among the companies seeking pre-qualification for the auction was Chinese wind turbine maker Mingyang Smart Energy.

Several other previously interested consortia announced they would not be participating, including groups led by Orsted, Vattenfall and an affiliate of Eni.

By Nora Buli, Reuters