88 representatives of 49 Agder companies came to meet Brigg Vind, one of the contenders for a license to develop wind farms at Sørlige Nordsjø II.
During 12-minute sessions throughout the afternoon, the companies presented their expertise and products to Brigg Vind. The purpose of the event, hosted by Fremtidens Havvind, was to establish contacts between the consortium and the region’s supplier industry.
Brigg Vind was established in 2021 and comprises three companies. Vårgrønn, a joint venture between Plenitude (Eni) and HitecVision, is Norway’s largest pure-play offshore wind company. Å Energi is one of Norway’s leading renewable companies. And Corio Generation, headquartered in the UK, is an international offshore wind developer and a portfolio company of the Green Investment Group.
Bjørnar Talset at Vårgrønn is the Project Manager for the Brigg Vind consortium. He sees Sørlige Nordsjø II as the first step of the development of massive wind resources in the area south of Norway.
“Sørlige Nordsjø II is a 3 GW project in an area well suited for bigger projects. In a new report, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate estimates a potential for 5.7 to 11.5 GW. Sørlige Nordsjø II could be a strategic hub for offshore wind development in Norway,” said Talset.
He continued to say that Brigg Vind will contribute to building competence and creating local ripple effects.
“We will adopt a multi-contract model, which will enable Norwegian suppliers to bid on bits of the total development,” said Talset.
Stein Oddvar Sægrov at Innovation Norway urged suppliers to learn the offshore wind industry, as it is different from the more familiar oil and gas industry. And he encouraged Norwegian suppliers to gain experience in international project while waiting for the Norwegian market to open.
Rune Klausen, Project Manager at Fremtidens Havvind, said suppliers need to find new solutions to reduce costs.
“To have a future in offshore wind, you need to find ways to bring value to this industry,” said Klausen.
