Equinor and Vårgrønn have confirmed they have submitted a joint application for Norway’s 1.5-gigawatt (GW) Utsira Nord floating wind tender, seeking to secure one of three 500-megawatt (MW) lease areas available off the coast of Rogaland.
The consortium, formed in 2021, submitted its bid ahead of the Norwegian Ministry of Energy’s application deadline on 15 September. Area allocations are expected to be announced in the first half of 2026, with a possible auction for state aid projected for 2028–29.
Tender criteria include assessments of cost level, project maturity and realism, sustainability, innovation, and implementation capacity. There are no upfront financial commitments or acreage fees associated with securing a lease.
“If we are awarded acreage, Utsira Nord will be an early-phase option,” said Siri Espedal Kindem, Equinor’s head of renewables in Norway. “To succeed, we must collaborate closely with the supplier industry, authorities, other users of the sea, and local interests.”
Kindem added that while conditions for offshore wind are favourable in Norway, regulatory certainty remains critical: “A prerequisite of this project is that it is technically feasible and profitable. It is crucial that the framework conditions are continued and that there is no uncertainty in this regard.”
The proposed project would draw on experience from Equinor’s Hywind Tampen facility, an 88MW floating wind farm commissioned in 2022 and currently the largest operational floating wind project in the world. The companies are also jointly developing the 560MW Green Volt project off the east coast of Scotland, expected to become the world’s largest commercial-scale floating wind farm by 2029–30.
“Utsira Nord represents a unique opportunity for Norwegian industry and offshore wind,” said Stephen Bull, CEO of Vårgrønn. “Our consortium is built on a well-established partnership, and together with Equinor, we have the expertise and conditions to develop a profitable floating wind project in Norway.”
Utsira Nord is one of two designated offshore wind areas being offered in Norway’s first commercial offshore wind licensing round. The other, Sørlige Nordsjø II, targets bottom-fixed wind turbines and is further along in the regulatory process.
