Gulen

Overview

Gulen municipality hosts a notable concentration of energy infrastructure, most prominently a granted concession for a 260 MW hydrogen/ammonia production facility at Skipavika Næringspark supported by dedicated 132 kV grid infrastructure. Renewable development has been mixed, with an 18 MW offshore wind test turbine and a small hydropower plant moving forward, while larger wind projects (Dalsbotnfjellet 150 MW, Brosviksåta 105 MW) have been rejected or withdrawn. No active grid queue reservations are present, suggesting current development is driven through concession channels rather than grid queue positions.

Recent Activity

A major concession was granted on 22 January 2026 for the 132 kV Sandøy–Raunholmen power line and Raunholmen transformer station to supply the planned Skipavika ammonia factory with up to 260 MW, marking a significant step forward for large-scale green hydrogen/ammonia production in the municipality.

Key Substations

Municipality Stance

Gulen appears open to large-scale industrial energy development, as evidenced by the granted concessions for the Skipavika ammonia facility infrastructure. However, the municipality has seen significant wind power setbacks — Dalsbotnfjellet was formally denied at the OED level in 2021 and Brosviksåta was withdrawn — suggesting regulatory and political resistance to onshore wind at scale.

Outlook

Gulen's near-term energy outlook is dominated by the potential realisation of the Skipavika ammonia factory, which — if built — would make the municipality a notable green industrial consumer. The 18 MW Gulavind offshore wind test turbine could add modest local renewable production. Prospects for large onshore wind remain poor given the rejection and withdrawal history, but the Statnett 300/420 kV submarine cable reinforcement across Fensfjorden improves regional grid backbone capacity, which may support future industrial growth in the area.