RWE, NTE and Havfram target floating offshore wind off Norway

RWE is teaming up with Norwegian renewables developer NTE and subsea and offshore wind contractor Havfram to enter Norway’s upcoming floating offshore wind tender.

The trio plans to jointly bid for a lease in the deep-water Utsira Nord site, 30km west of the island of Svendsholmen off south-west Norway,.

RWE believes 1.5GW of floating offshore wind capacity could be built there but has not confirmed how much it would plan to build in Utsira Nord.

The German developer owns a stake in the TetraSpar floating offshore wind demonstration project, which is now being commissioned at a site less than 20km from Utsira Nord.

Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy is due to start the licensing process for two areas it has earmarked for offshore wind development — Utsira Nord and Sørlige Nordsjø II – later this year.

RWE, NTE and Havfram are likely to face stiff competition in Norway, as several bidding consortiums have set their sights on Utsira Nord.

Trios of Shell, BKK and Lyse, Ørsted, Hafslund Eco and Fred Olsen Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn – a joint venture of energy companies Eni and HitecVision – and a joint venture formed by Norwegian renewables developer Magnora and UK engineering firm TechnipFMC have all announced their intention to bid for projects in Utsira Nord.

RWE is also bidding to develop a fixed-bottom offshore wind farm in Sørlige Nordsjø II, alongside Equinor and Norwegian renewables developer Hydro REIN.