Norwegian oil and gas group Equinor ASA (OB:EQNR) intends to take part in the bidding for Norway's Sorlige Nordsjo II area that could host up to 1.5 GW of offshore wind turbine capacity, according to a Reuters report. The bid will come from a partnership between Equinor and German energy major RWE AG (XTRA:RWE), the Norwegian group's CEO Anders Opedal has said on the sidelines of its third-quarter earnings presentation. Potentially, Soerlige Nordsjoe II could become home to wind farms with a combined capacity of between 1.4 GW and 1.5 GW.

Bidding for the zone was initiated in March together with a tender for the Utsira Nord offshore wind area, which is temporarily on hold. Once completed, the two tenders will pave the way for the construction of the first large offshore wind parks in Norwegian waters. State support for the development of Soerlige Nordsjoe II stands at NOK 23 billion (USD 2.05 billion /EUR 1.94 billion).

The level of financing was extended this summer in order to mitigate the effects of rising inflation and increased supply chain costs. The competition will be open for submissions by November 15, 2023 following a recent revision of the bidding deadline.