Norwegian hydropower giant Statkraft will link with compatriot industrial group Aker to enter Norway’s first offshore wind tender, in a move that marks a U-turn by the former after it walked away from the sector in 2015.

Statkraft and Aker Offshore Wind will form a 50/50 project vehicle to prepare a bid to build fixed-bottom offshore wind at Sørlige Nordsjø 2 (SN2), one of two zones Norway is opening up for a total potential of up to 4.5GW