– We see that the offshore wind investment will be significantly more expensive than what we had predicted, says Høyre’s energy policy spokesperson Nikolai Astrup. In a letter to the energy and environment committee, the government writes that the offshore wind investment will cost NOK 23 billion, i.e. NOK 8 billion more than predicted. The Conservative Party withdraws and will no longer support the government’s offshore wind. – The government has chosen a development solution that requires excessive public subsidies, says Astrup. Fears opportunities are lost Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland believes this shows that the Conservative Party is not a governing party. – The Conservative Party is delivering the recipe for a power deficit in Norway. I am very surprised by the unpredictability the Right is helping to create now. It shows that the Conservative Party is not the governing party that they express, believes Aasland. The fact that the government’s offshore wind investment is falling behind is because everything has become more expensive due to the pandemic and the war, explains Oil and Energy Minister Aasland. – But it is absolutely necessary that we stand by and carry out the initiatives we have launched. Offshore wind provides power, cuts climate emissions and makes it possible for Norwegian industry and Norwegian suppliers to compete and take global positions in the offshore wind investment afterwards. This opportunity is lost with what the Conservative Party is now proposing, then we will lose momentum, says Minister Aasland. The Conservative Party wants hybrid cables Nikolai Astrup says that the Conservative Party would rather invest in hybrid cables, even if it means that part of the electricity is exported abroad. – You can design the cables so that some electricity goes abroad but most electricity goes to Norway. The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy estimated the income from hybrid cable to be around NOK 1 billion a year, here there is a significant income potential, Astrup believes. Nikolai Astrup and the Conservative Party withdraw their support for the government’s offshore wind investment. Photo: NTB Høyre estimates that Norway can develop three times as much energy from offshore wind with their project, without public support. – The Conservative Party is asking the government to come back with a new project, which facilitates a larger and faster realization of the offshore wind investment, without public subsidies, says Nikolai Astrup. Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland believes the government’s investment is absolutely necessary. – I hope the government’s offshore wind initiative is adopted. We need more power and our offshore wind investment will add more power to the Norwegian power system. It is something we desperately need. Starting with the offshore wind investment now will ensure that our industry gets the right positions in the future.
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