Norway Ministry of Energy overturns Davvi wind farm rejection

The Norwegian Ministry of Energy has overturned a decision by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) to reject the concession application for the Davvi wind farm in Lebesby municipality, Finnmark.

Energy Minister Terje Aasland stated that the rejection was overturned because the application had not undergone a formal hearing process. According to the Ministry, a concession application can only be rejected without a hearing if it is “clear” that the application would be denied, a condition the Ministry determined was not met in this instance.

The Ministry noted that the case had not been sufficiently illuminated to allow for a proper assessment of the project's advantages and disadvantages. Consequently, the application is being sent back to the NVE for further processing. Aasland emphasized that this decision does not constitute a ruling on whether the Davvi wind farm will ultimately receive a concession, but rather requires the NVE to conduct a new assessment that considers the project alongside other developments in Finnmark.