The move was announced Tuesday at the opening day of Hamburg WindEnergy 2022, the world’s largest wind power exhibition.
“We have made a strategic decision that the development, operation, and maintenance of Sørlige Nordsjø II will be managed from Kristiansand. Agder is a perfect location for our offshore wind investment,” say Atle Beisland, General Manager at Norseman Wind and Holger Grubel, Offshore Wind Manager at EnBW.
Norseman Wind and EnBW plan to develop 1.5 GW offshore wind at Sørlige Nordsjø II, which is one of two areas that the Norwegian government has opened for offshore wind development.
Sørlige Nordsjø II is also a major industrial opportunity for the Agder region. The development is estimated to cost approximately NOK 35 billion, of which at least half is expected to find its way to the Norwegian supplier industry.
If Norseman Wind and EnBW are given a license to develop Sørlige Nordsjø II, the consortium will generate lots of job in the Agder region.
“We will need several hundred skilled people in the Agder region related to operation and development. Kristiansand will be the head office for Norseman Wind and the Norwegian head office of EnBW, while Mandal can play an important role as a construction port,” say Beisland and Grubel.
The first development phase of Sørlige Nordsjø II is expected to have an annual operating and maintenance budget of NOK 600-800 million.
“We believe that Norseman and EnBW’s decision to move the organization and head offices to Kristiansand will strengthen our chances of winning the auction,” say Beisland and Grubel.
