Onshore renewables
April 2020
Read about this project in Norwegian.
19 Vestas V150 turbines
Buheii Wind Farm will become operational in late 2021
Buheii Wind Farm is located in Kvinesdal, Southern Norway
Buheii Wind Farm will have an installed capacity of 79.8 MW
Over its operational lifetime it will reduce emissions by 375 kt CO2e
The project will support 80 – 100 jobs during construction
GIG is committed to ensuring Buheii Wind Farm brings economic benefit to the local community. Construction of the wind farm will support 80 – 100 jobs and two Norwegian companies, including RISA AS - one of Norway’s largest construction contractors - have been selected to complete the main civil and overhead lines works. RISA will carry out all groundwork, foundations, roads and internal cables on the project. The full contractor shortlist will be announced in due course.
Property tax from the project will also contribute about NOK 8 million annually in revenues for the municipalities. It has also set aside earmarked funds for business investment in Kvinesdal through a separate wind power fund. The fund has a total amount of just over 10 NOK million.
In addition, the project will support upgrades to the quay in Kleven, invest in traffic safety measures on county road 465 and support the local business community by renting premises from the local ski resort for the workforce.
Wind energy can play an important role preserving and supporting the growth of Norwegian industry by providing access to predictable supplies of competitively priced renewable energy through long-term power purchase agreements.
The Buheii project will provide power to local cornerstone employer Eramet Norway until 2038, ensuring a stable and long-term power supply to Eramet Norway's Norwegian smelters. With an electricity demand of more than 2 TWh per annum, the company relies on long-term and predictable power conditions to ensure stable and efficient operation in its processing plants in Porsgrunn, Sauda and Kvinesdal.
Minimising impacts on nature and the environment has been central to the development of Buheii wind farm. A full assessment of potential impacts on local biodiversity has been undertaken and assessed by the regulator, NVE.
Buheii Wind Farm is committed to ensure that no nesting sites are disturbed by the construction work. We are continuously investigating whether there may be nesting sites within the regulated area, in line with recommendations from wildlife experts, the regulator NVE and the county governor. Mitigation measures are being taken to prevent any disturbance of nesting areas.
The project will implement an NVE approved action plan to protect Hubro (Eagle Owl) in the area, which includes undertaking further surveys on Hubro activity pre and post construction. It will also support an independent Hubro survey program initiated by the County Governor in Agder. The site boundary is over 1 kilometer away from the closest registered Hubro location as required by NVE.
All GIG investments must also pass through a robust internal green impact assessment process before they are approved. Every approved investment is subject to detailed green impact monitoring, spanning all aspects of its green performance. Find out more about our impact and measurement.
GIG is the developer of Buheii Wind Farm, and took ownership of Buheii Vindkraft AS from Nordisk Vindkraft in 2020. GIG is a leading global green investor and project developer, dedicated to supporting the growth of the global green economy.
Established as the world’s first green investment bank by the UK Government in 2012, it was acquired by the Macquarie Group in 2017.
Eric Bjonerud, Senior Vice President, Green Investment Group
Eric is responsible for procurement and development of Green Investment Group's renewable power projects in EMEA. Eric is heavily involved in Nordic projects, and for three years has been involved in four of the company's transactions in the Nordic market. Prior to joining Macquarie, Eric worked at PNC Bank and First Wind / Sunedison. He has more than 10 years of experience with renewable power projects in origin, development, mergers and acquisitions and financing.
Leon Notkevich, CEO Buheii Vindpark AS
Leon Eliassen Notkevich is the general manager of Buheii Wind Park, and will be the local representative during the construction phase of this project. Leon has more than 17 years of experience in renewable and electrical infrastructure projects from early phase development to commissioning and delivery to operation. Leon has held various roles in several offshore wind and onshore wind projects in Scandinavia and the UK. He has a background from Statkraft, where he led a team of engineers and project managers in the company's offshore wind efforts.
