“We are enjoying success in the offshore wind sector. Transferring heave compensation technology from oil and gas to offshore wind has served us well,” says Bjørnar Berge, Sales Manager at MacGregor.
The fully electric gangway and the award-winning 3D crane are so far sold to operate on 15 service and operation vessels (SOVs). The MacGregor equipment has already been installed on 11 vessels.
“This equipment is especially designed for the offshore wind sector. Out of all SOVs currently serving the Doggerbank wind farm in the UK, the three ships equipped with our gangway and crane perform at a higher level than all other SOVs, according to official Doggerbank performance reviews,” says Berge.
Enabling operators to transfer personnel and cargo in an expanded weather window, is the greatest benefit that MacGregor offers.
“Utilizing our heave compensation technology, ships can operate in conditions with up to 3.6 meters significant wave height. This is a huge advantage, especially in regions with rougher climate,” says Berge, who presented the MacGregor technology at WindEurope in Copenhagen Wednesday afternoon.
LOTS OF OFFSHORE WIND JOBS
MacGregor is reported to have between 50 and 100 people working exclusively on offshore wind technology, varying with the number of projects being run simultaneously.
“MacGregor is a great example of how competence and technology is transferred from oil and gas to offshore renewables. The Norwegian supplier industry, and particularly the industry in the Agder region, is utilizing current skill sets to seize new business opportunities,” says Kristian Johnsen, Project Manager of Fremtidens Havvind.
The Norwegian offshore wind industry is exporting technology and services worth a staggering NOK 50 billion this year, despite the home market being virtually non-existent.
“Our industry has always had a global mindset and always looked for international opportunities. We are eager to establish the Norwegian offshore wind market, but we recognize that the industry is already well established on the global scene,” says Johnsen.
More than 15,000 visitors attended the conference and exhibition in the Danish capital this week. Senior industry executives and policymakers debated how wind can scale up to meet ambitious 2030 targets on and offshore, while also bolstering Europe’s security and competitiveness.
