That was the main message from John Stangeland, CEO of NorSea Group. He spoke to a group of people gathered for an offshore wind seminar in Kristiansand this week, hosted by GCE NODE, Fremtidens Havvind and Deloitte.
NorSea is the Norwegian partner in the Ventyr consortium, winners of the first Norwegian offshore wind auction for the development of Sørlige Nordsjø II. Other partners include the Japanese company Jera Co, which is one of the world’s largest utility suppliers, and the investment company Ingka Group, which manages 90 percent of IKEA’s trading activities globally.
People packed the space at Deloitte’s Kristiansand offices and were excited to hear what Stangeland had to say about the business opportunities for the supplier industry in Agder and the rest of the country. Stangeland, who participated via video link, said years will pass before major contracts are signed in the giant project. This gives plenty of time for industry players to position themselves.
“We have a lot of work to do before contracts can be awarded. Firstly, we must map the seabed at the location and the route for bringing the cable ashore. In 2026, we will submit a development plan, which Norwegian authorities will spend a year processing. We hope for a shorter processing time, but investment decisions and contract negotiations with relevant suppliers are unlikely to start until 2027-28,” said Stangeland.
LARGE CONTRACTS
One large contract, perhaps the first, addresses the construction of a HVDC transformer station on site in the sea, and an AC/DC station in Feda, Kvinesdal, where the 1400MW cable will be brought ashore.
“Norwegian suppliers have proven to be very competitive in this field,” said Stangeland.
Major components, such as foundations, towers, and turbines will be produced abroad.
However, nothing has been decided when it comes to the delivery of large components, logistics, and port facilities. Tananger will be the operating and maintenance base for Sørlige Nordsjø II when the wind farm goes into production in 2030-31.
MANY OPPORTUNITIES
CEO Rune Klausen and Legal Advisor Kjell Eirik Haavold at the National Competence Center for Offshore Wind listened with interest to Stangeland’s message.
“The Norwegian supplier industry should note that no agreements are signed, and that there is plenty of time to position yourself vis-à-vis Ventyr. The Competence Center will spend its time wisely by promoting education and expertise in offshore wind, ensuring equal framework conditions for Norwegian and foreign suppliers, and promoting more predictability when it comes to the awarding of licenses for offshore wind,” said Haavold.
