Norway signs contract with Sorlige Nordsjo II auction winner

The Norwegian government has signed the contract for the Sorlige Nordsjo II offshore wind project with Ventyr SN II, the consortium which recently won the auction to develop the 1.5-GW wind farm.

Ventyr is a partnership between Parkwind and Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer. Parkwind is Belgian offshore wind developer, which now describes itself as being part of Jera Nex, a newly launched renewables business by its owner, Japanese utility Jera Co Inc.

The consortium won the auction for the Sorlige Nordsjo II phase 1 area in March and there were four weeks in which a contract for difference had to be signed with the state. This is the first large offshore wind project on the Norwegian continental shelf.

“This marks a significant milestone in Norway’s commitment to renewable energy. I firmly believe that Sorlige Nordsjo II can be a catalyst for achieving our ambitions in the offshore wind industry. This project also presents an opportunity for the Norwegian supply industry to play a central role in a new industrial era,” Minister of Energy Terje Aasland said in a statement today.

Norway aims to award areas with a potential for 30 GW of offshore wind by 2040. The allocation of sites in the Utsira Nord offshore wind zone, however, is now expected in 2025.

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