On 19 May 2025, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy announced a call for tenders for allocation of floating offshore wind projects in the Utsira Nord area. The announcement was originally scheduled for 2023 but was postponed pending approval of the state aid model by the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA)
The call encompasses three designated project areas located off the coast of Rogaland County, each with a potential installed capacity of up to 500 megawatts (MW) of floating offshore wind. This announcement represents a significant milestone in the Government’s broader offshore wind strategy.
The allocation of project areas and associated state aid will be conducted in two stages, separated by a project maturation phase. In the initial stage, three project areas—each with a maximum installed capacity of 500 MW—will be awarded to the applicants who achieve the highest scores in a competition based on objective and non-discriminatory criteria. The qualitative evaluation will be based on the following criteria:
- Cost level, feasibility, and project maturity
- Innovation and technological development
- Implementation capacity
- Environmental and social sustainability
- Positive socio-economic ripple effects
The state aid competition will take place subsequent to a project maturation phase. To be eligible for this second stage, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Submission of a formal license application
- Provision of a bank guarantee as a prerequisite for participation in the auction
The winner of the competition will be the applicant requiring the least amount of public support to implement the project. The successful bidder will be eligible to receive up to NOK 35 billion in state aid. Among the three project areas in Utsira Nord, only one will be granted financial support for development.
Applicants who are not awarded state aid will have the opportunity to apply for an extension of their exclusive rights to the designated project area, in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Offshore Energy Act (havenergilova).
The application deadline is set for 15 September 2025.