Sørvest F was an identified seabed area in the central North Sea off southern Norway intended as a potential expansion area for nearby fixed-bottom offshore wind developments. Located about 150+ km from the mainland with average water depths around 60 m and an assessed total area of roughly 2,702...
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In February 2025 Statnett completed and published the study "Nettutredning Sørvest F", which analyses alternative radial and hybrid HVDC grid concepts (including Storhandel, Storvind and Vind-vind) for connecting offshore wind from the Sørvest F area to Norway and a partner country, assessing costs, capacity options and Norwegian cost shares up to two 1.4 GW connections into price area NO2. The study, carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Energy, underpins the choice of transmission solution for the future grid connection of the Sørvest F offshore wind area.
Statnett delivered and published its Grid Concepts Sørvest F report to the Ministry of Energy, presenting evaluations of five grid concepts (one radial and four hybrid options) for connecting up to 2.8 GW of offshore wind from Sørvest F to Southern Norway and neighbouring countries, including analyses of socio-economic profitability, price effects, and system interaction.
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Sørvest F nettilknytning, Sørvest F bottom-fixed area, Sørvest F (no93), Sørlige Nordsjø II / Sørvest F
On 10 February 2025, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy announced that it would no longer proceed with advertising the planned fixed-bottom offshore wind tender in the Sørvest F area, effectively cancelling this development phase after Statnett’s grid study showed all evaluated radial and hybrid connection options would require substantial state support and further technological maturation.
Following Statnett’s grid concepts study for Sørvest F, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy decided not to proceed with the planned 2025 fixed-bottom offshore wind tender for the Sørvest F extension to Sørlige Nordsjø II. The Ministry announced it would no longer advertise the Sørvest F area for auction that year, citing high costs of offshore wind production and grid solutions and a continued need for significant state support, and indicated a policy shift towards prioritising floating offshore wind instead.
In 2024, Arctia Meritaito was contracted by the Norwegian Mapping Authority’s Hydrographic Service to carry out a hydrographic seabed survey using the vessel MPV Pohjanmeri over the Sørvest F offshore wind area, with departure planned once ice conditions allowed and work scheduled to run until late summer.
A strategic impact assessment for offshore wind development in the areas Sørvest F, Vestavind B and Vestavind F was placed on public consultation. The consultation, led by NVE on behalf of the Norwegian authorities, invited stakeholders to comment on NVE’s assessments and recommendations regarding environmental, societal and industrial impacts and the suitability of opening Sørvest F as a new bottom-fixed offshore wind project area in the central North Sea.
NVE completed a strategic impact assessment for Sørvest F, evaluating environmental, societal and industrial effects based on 22 thematic studies, and concluded that a new project area can be announced there, while cautioning about potential serious impacts on migratory birds and recommending careful, knowledge-based development.
The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) completed a strategic impact assessment covering three offshore wind areas, including Sørvest F, and submitted its assessments and recommendations to the Ministry of Energy. NVE concluded that a new project area can be announced for Sørvest F, recommending development with caution due to potential impacts on migratory birds but noting that other environmental and societal effects are limited or can be mitigated.
On 14 September 2023, the Norwegian Government announced that Sørvest F, as an expansion of Sørlige Nordsjø II, would be one of the new offshore wind areas to be opened by 2025, alongside Vestavind F and Vestavind B.
In June 2023, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy formally tasked Statnett with investigating possible grid solutions for the next development phase of bottom-fixed offshore wind in the Sørvest F area, initiating a dedicated grid concept study for the zone.
An expert directorate group led by NVE identified Sørvest F as one of 20 new offshore wind development areas, as an expansion of the Sørlige Nordsjø II zone, and presented this list in a press release on 25 April 2023 as part of Norway’s plan to enable up to 30 GW of offshore wind by 2040.
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