Equinor Triggers Norway's First Floating Wind Consent

Equinor and Vårgrønn have triggered Norway's first statutory consenting process for a 500 MW floating offshore wind farm

4 Jun 2026

Norway's floating wind sector crossed a historic regulatory threshold in spring 2026. On 27 March, Utsira Nord Havvind DA, a consortium of Equinor and Vårgrønn, filed a formal development notification with the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, initiating the country's first statutory consenting process for a commercial floating offshore wind project. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate opened its public consultation in May, accepting responses until 18 June.

Awarded Project Area 3 on 13 February 2026, the consortium holds exclusive rights to develop 500 MW at water depths between 250 and 280 metres in Rogaland County. Equinor plans to deploy its Hywind spar-buoy concept, connecting turbines by subsea cable to Statnett's onshore grid roughly 30 kilometres from shore. Regulatory approval of the final impact assessment programme is expected in autumn 2026.

Developers then face a two-year window to complete environmental and technical studies before a licence application can be submitted, placing that filing in 2028 or 2029. Following submission, a state aid auction capped at NOK 35 billion will determine which of the two Utsira Nord consortia receives construction support. Commercial start-up is targeted for around 2035. Underpinning the entire framework is a pre-approved EFTA Surveillance Authority state aid arrangement, a legal foundation that did not exist for commercial floating wind in Norway before this year.

For developers working in deep water elsewhere in Europe, Norway's regulatory debut carries notable weight. Until now, deepwater licensing at scale remained a distant prospect rather than an active market condition.

Later in 2026, the Norwegian government is expected to publish a comprehensive offshore wind strategy clarifying future leasing rounds and support conditions across the North Sea. The results could shape policy and investment patterns across the region for years ahead.