Wedoany.com Report-Feb 12, The Norwegian government has scrapped plans to tender the Sørvest F offshore wind area because of high grid costs.
The Ministry of Energy said, following a study by TSO Statnett, that the area, which would have been an extension of the in-development Sorlige 2 project, will not go to tender this year.
"We are currently facing high costs, both for offshore wind production and associated grid solutions," said Norway’s Minister of Energy Terje Aasland (pictured).
"Statnett's study shows that hybrid cables will not solve these challenges. Offshore wind production will need a lot of government support, regardless of which grid solution we choose. Therefore, we will prioritise floating projects with radial.
“We believe that it is not the time to proceed with planning hybrid cables now.
"The cost level is high, it is difficult to find profitability in the projects, regulations at the European level are not in place and at a time of instability in the European power market, I am sceptical of further exposing the Norwegian power system to the power challenges we have seen in Germany and other countries on the continent.”
The government said that it continued to invest in offshore wind and is working to announce areas for floating offshore wind as soon as possible.
Sørvest F would have covered a vast area of 2702 square kilometres and was earmarked for fixed-bottom technology.
