Nearly 100 representatives from 59 companies took the opportunity to meet key personnel from Equinor and partners Hydro and RWE at an event hosted by Fremtidens Havvind in Kristiansand. The purpose was to establish contacts between the consortium and the region’s supplier industry.
During 30-minute sessions throughout the afternoon, the companies presented their expertise and products to Equinor and partners. One of the participating companies, Origo Solutions, supplies automation and data management systems to the offshore sector. Sales and Marketing Director at Origo Solutions, Rune Reinertsen, was grateful for the opportunity to meet the consortium.
“Sørlige Nordsjø II will be a key project for the Norwegian offshore wind supplier industry and a gateway to other contracts in the offshore wind sector,” says Reinertsen.
IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS
He says the gathering in Kristiansand helps local companies connect with the right people in the industry, which can otherwise be challenging.
“The importance of establishing relationships with the right people cannot be overestimated,” says Reinertsen, whose company is already well positioned in the offshore wind sector. Origo Solutions has secured software supply to the world’s largest wind farm, Doggerbank, off the east coast of England, which is scheduled to start production in 2026.
Reinertsen says it has ambitions to grow in offshore wind and hopes that this market will account for around 30 per cent of the company’s turnover in a few years.
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
The Kristiansand-based technology enterprise Nekkar also took the opportunity to present their innovative solutions for heavy lifts on- and offshore. Anne-Line Aagedal, Business Controller and Sustainability Manager and Yngvar Borø, Director R&D at Nekkar, say the company has ambitions to deliver their lifting systems to Sørlige Nordsjø II wind farm.
“Our Skywalker system simplifies large lifting operations both at the onshore assembly base and on offshore wind farms. Moreover, we have heave-compensated crane solutions for vessels that lift large components safely from the deck onto the wind installation in most weather conditions”, says Borøy.
Both Origo Solutions and Nekkar describe Sørlige Nordsjø II as a unique opportunity to position the region’s supplier industry. They believe their Agder location and proximity to the development site will provide a competitive advantage.
VALUABLE INPUT
Arne Eik, Project Director Offshore Wind at Equinor, says the meetings have provided them with valuable knowledge about the region’s supplier industry and the expertise that exists here.
“We are grateful that GCE NODE and Fremtidens Havvind gave us the opportunity to meet the region’s companies and jointly discuss solutions for a sustainable Sørlige Nordsjø II- project, and at the same time contribute to local industrial development,” says Eik.
