Opportunities in Offshore Wind Attracts Norway’s Knutsen – The Maritime Executive

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By The Maritime Executive 01-12-2021 06:54:53

The increasing focus and perceived opportunities in the offshore wind sector are attracting a growing number of maritime and shipping companies to the business.

In the latest development, Norways Knutsen OAS, which manages and operates LNG carriers and product/chemical tankers, is joining in a partnership to establish a new company to develop offshore wind projects in Norway and internationally. The new company is a partnership between the shipping company, Norwegian power utility Haugaland Kraft AS, and power generation company Sunnhordland Kraftlag AS.

"We are facing a green shift that requires significantly more renewable energy. Offshore wind, together with hydropower, can give the region our great advantage in using our renewable natural resources to create future-oriented green industrial growth and development," says John Martin Mjnes CEO of SKL.

According to the companies, South-West Norway has a long maritime tradition, built on industries such as fishing, shipping, oil, and gas. Renewable power production also has long traditions in Norway, but if Norway is to be fully electrified, there will be a need for new renewable energy.

Norway opened up two areas for offshore wind on January 1, 2021, which the new company sees as a strong opportunity. Utsira Nord it says is ideally located to supply new renewable electricity to a region with an expected significant power deficit. Southern North Sea II could be an opening for Norway as a supplier of renewable energy to Europe.

With Utsira North and Southern North Sea II, Norway can take a position as a leading offshore wind nation built on our expertise from the maritime sector, oil and gas, and hydropower, says Knut Vassbotn, who has been appointed CEO of Deep Wind Offshore.

Through Deep Wind Offshore the three companies will seek to use their industrial and broad expertise in the energy and offshore market to realize the business opportunities in these new, sustainable business areas. At the same time, the company hopes to benefit from the oil and gas industry, both in various collaborations and in the competence and technology power the industry represents.

We are now establishing a new, regional company in Western Norway and want to contribute to developing the expertise that is in the region, and hopefully new renewable power production outside Utsira. The expertise in infrastructure and network development is also something the company brings into the collaboration, says Olav Linga, CEO of Haugaland Kraft.

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Opportunities in Offshore Wind Attracts Norway's Knutsen - The Maritime Executive