Hammerfest Energy and Varanger Kraft have decided to join the Blåse Energi consortium focused on developing floating offshore wind projects in Norway.
According to the press release, Hammerfest Energi and Varanger Kraft will contribute with expertise around grids and grid planning, as well as dialogue with the Norwegian authorities.
“Offshore wind is a new area for us and we look forward to contributing with our experience and at the same time increasing our own expertise in offshore wind. We also know how important it is to have good dialogue with local communities and other affected parties”, said Gudrun Rollefsen , CEO of Hammerfest Energi.
Blåse is a consortium that was originally formed by NorSea, Parkwind, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
The alliance is currently working on the application for the Utsira Nord area, the first full-scale floating wind farm on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre kicked off Norway’s first-ever offshore wind lease round in March.
Applications for leases are scheduled to be submitted by early September, with awards expected in December.
The Utsira Nord area has a capacity of 1.5 GW, which the government will divide into three sites, each of which can accommodate a wind farm of 500 MW.
The majority of Norwegian offshore wind potential is at water depths requiring floating wind projects.
The country has set a target of reaching net zero by 2050 and has committed to establishing 30 GW of offshore wind power by 2040.