– The Prime Minister has sold the skin before the wolf is shot – E24
There is confusion associated with the Støre government’s offshore wind plans. The Liberal Party’s Ola Elvestuen believes that the Center Party has obsessive thoughts against foreign relations.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor Party) presented a five-point plan for Norway’s investment in offshore wind. On that occasion confirmed Støre above VG that over time the offshore wind power must be connected to the hybrid cables – as can send power to and from Norway and abroad.
On Wednesday, however, the Center Party’s parliamentary leader Marit Arnstad said that they not has said “yes” to hybrid cables.
– I believe that the basic problems associated with hybrid cable are still there. We will take this into account in the assessment in 2025 and onwards, Arnstad told Nationen.
At the same time, she denies to the Nation that there is any contradiction between SP’s policy and the plans for which the government has been approved.
– It will be assessed from project to project, Arnstad said.
The seemingly contradictory statements have created confusion.
– There is now total confusion about what the government parties think about hybrid cables. Jonas Gahr Støre promises EU power from offshore wind in Norway, while Marit Arnstad rejects that Sp has opened up for hybrid cables, says Nikolai Astrup, energy policy spokesman for the Conservative Party, to E24. Before adding a twist to a familiar saying to illustrate the situation:
– It seems that the prime minister has sold the skin before the wolf was shot.
Wind and energy are debated in the Storting on Thursday morning, Astrup repeated the criticism there.
– Even after a series of press conferences and the presentation of a report to the Storting on energy, the hybrid war between the government parties continues. If we are to make an industrial investment in offshore wind, this central question must be clarified, says Astrup to E24.
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– It is necessary to send the power to our neighboring countries as well
One month ago, the Støre government set new goals for Norway’s offshore wind efforts.
The ambition is for the government to allocate areas for 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind production in Norway by 2040. The new goal could lead to the development of about 1,500 offshore wind turbines.
Knut Kroepelien, CEO of Energi Norge believes that with such a large level of ambition, it will be necessary to send the power on.
– We are pleased that the government has a plan to develop Norwegian offshore wind in a 2040 perspective, which has a capacity of 30 GW and an annual production that will at least correspond to the current power production in Norway, Kroepelien says to E24.
– It goes without saying that with this level of ambition, it will be necessary to send part of the power to our neighboring countries, he continues.
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Only profitable with hybrid cable
Kroepelien points out through Statsnett’s analyzer and Energi Norge’s preliminary analyzer that both show that hybrid connections will in the long run provide a net power flow to Norway, have small price effects and significantly better profitability.
– When it comes to the specific design of a North Sea network, and the steps on the way there, NVE’s analyzer, which will be available on 1 October, will be very important, he says.
Statkraft’s CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen believes that offshore window construction will only be profitable without subsidies, if hybrid cables are laid.
– In connection with the government’s press conference on offshore wind on 9 February this year, Rynning-Tønnesen said that it is possible to dimension the cables so that their capacity is less than the actual capacity of an offshore wind field. So that they, for example, each road have half the capacity of the field. Then the power to Norway is forced if production is over half capacity no matter what the price is abroad, Rynning-Tønnesen writes in an e-mail to E24.
– It is not good climate policy
Energy policy spokesman for the Liberal Party, Ola Elvestuen, says that without hybrid cables we can not hook on the same offshore wind investment as other countries, and it is not good for the restructuring Europe must go through to reduce climate emissions and stop the purchase of Russian gas. Norway should be involved in the development of the North Sea, otherwise it will be dangerous for the Norwegian offshore wind industry.
– It is not possible to understand why the Center Party is against hybrid cables, which will speed up offshore wind in Norway, and enable us to invest like Germany and Denmark.
Elvestuen believes that the Center Party has obsessive thoughts about foreign connections, which they are unable to free themselves from.
– We need more cooperation, not less, he says.