Norway Approves Request to Delay Offshore Wind Farm License Application

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The Norwegian energy ministry on Friday approved a request from the developer of the country's first commercial offshore wind farm to delay a licence application deadline by one year.

• The ministry granted operator Ventyr the extension until October 15, 2027 to conduct a project-specific impact assessment, it said in a statement.

• Ventyr, a consortium between IKEA store owner Ingka and renewable developer JERA Nex bp, in 2024 won the rights to build the 1.5-gigawatt (GW) Soerlige Nordsjoe II bottom-fixed offshore wind farm in the North Sea.

• The company in June requested the extension, citing, among other things, the need for more time to investigate a possible alternative route for landfall and grid connection.

• "The Ministry believes that there is a basis for extending the deadline for submitting a licence application by 12 months due to the need to investigate the alternative route, and has therefore granted the application for an extension," it said.

• The first electricity production from Soerlige Nordsjoe II was previously expected in 2030. It was not immediately clear whether the extended deadline will affect the overall project timeline.

(Reuters)