Norway has identified four southern offshore areas as the most favourable for wind energy development, based on a strategic impact assessment conducted by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE).
The areas—Vestavind C, located off Midthordaland, and Sørvest B, Sørvest C, and Sørvest D in the southern North Sea—were highlighted for their strong wind resources, potential grid connectivity, and relatively lower environmental and industrial conflicts.
“These four areas are relatively better off than the others,” NVE Director Kjetil Lund said in a statement. However, he cautioned that financial viability remains a key concern. “Offshore wind in Norway is not profitable without significant financial support,” he added.
The review covered 20 sites in total, building on earlier identification work completed in 2023. The strategic assessment considered a range of factors including technical and economic feasibility, wind conditions, projected energy costs, grid integration, and potential impacts on biodiversity, fisheries, defence, and other maritime activities.
Lund noted that the report stops short of recommending any specific developments. “We are not currently making recommendations on whether offshore wind should be developed in these areas or not. Decisions… are up to the government,” he said.
Northern sites such as Nordavind C, Nordavind D, and Nordvest B were deemed less suitable due to weaker wind conditions, greater distances to shore, and a reliance on less mature high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission technology.
NVE stressed that its analysis is based on the assumption that only one area would be developed at a time. The agency recommended additional environmental evaluations if multiple adjacent areas are opened simultaneously and called for further research, particularly into biodiversity impacts, given the early stage of offshore wind development in Norway.
The impact study was carried out in collaboration with several government bodies, including the Norwegian Environment Agency, the Directorate of Fisheries, the Continental Shelf Directorate, the Coastal Administration, and the Defence Construction Agency.
