Norway's Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has selected 12 onshore wind projects for advancement in the licensing process, out of 26 submissions received by their April deadline. This move marks a significant reduction aimed at streamlining the licensing workload, according to Director General of Water Resources and Energy, Kjetil Lund.
“While we are now advancing only 12 projects, this still exceeds what is realistically feasible to grant licenses for,” Lund stated, emphasizing the need for careful scrutiny in the process.
The next phase involves sending 11 wind power reports for initial consultation scheduled for September. Additionally, an application for the upgrade and expansion of the Alta wind power plant is under review.
Each project has been evaluated based on criteria including alignment with Finnmark County Council's regional wind power plan and evidence of consultation with reindeer herding communities.
Following the upcoming consultations, NVE will draft study programs detailing investigation topics for each project, expected to be finalized early next year to facilitate studies throughout 2025. Final license applications will be prepared after these assessments are completed.
The autumn consultations mark the first of two rounds of talks, with the subsequent round following impact assessments and license application submissions. NVE plans further reductions in project numbers before the second consultation phase.
