That is perhaps the short-and-sweet summary on behalf of the Agder delegation after two days at the world’s leading wind industry expo.
WindEnergy Hamburg attracts more than 40,000 participants from over 100 countries for the world’s most comprehensive showcase of onshore and offshore products and services.
“The European wind industry enjoys a strong tailwind. Norway needs to pick up the pace. Committing to annual licensing rounds for offshore wind could be one way of doing so,” says Tom Fidjeland, CEO of GCE NODE and Head of Fremtidens Havvind.
Approximately 40 people from the Agder region, representing the public and private sector, was present at WindEnergy Hamburg. Three GCE NODE companies were part of the Norwegian pavilion, and – for the first time ever – HMH had a separate stand at a wind expo.
Mette Harv, EVP at Nekkar, was very happy with the Hamburg experience.
“Being present at this event has been tremendous. There are so many decisionmakers here, and we have been in contact with lots of them,” says Harv, who also gave a presentation at an event hosted by Innovation Norway.
Turid Storhaug, CTO of Global Ocean Technology, agrees:
“It has been useful to meet other Norwegian companies here in Hamburg, and even more useful to connect with foreign companies and port authorities. Driven by large international companies, offshore wind is moving fast forward with or without Norway,” says Storhaug.
POLITICAL DELEGATION
The Mayor of Kristiansand, Mathias Bernander, travelled to Hamburg to support a city and a region which are determined to make it big in the offshore wind industry.
“I am very pleased to witness that offshore wind is happening right now! It is not something waiting to evolve in the distant future. It is happening right here, right now! I am proud to see our companies position themselves within offshore wind. Even though many companies will remain suppliers to the oil and gas industry for years to come, I am glad to see them also transition to renewable energy,” says Bernander.
His counterpart in Farsund, Mayor Ingrid Williamsen, also came to Hamburg to support her region and to gain more knowledge about the industry.
“I was surprised by the size of the expo. It shows how far developed this industry is. Understanding the scale and importance of offshore wind is vital. It is already a huge industry, and we need to be present. I was very much impressed by the Agder companies that took part in the event,” says Williamsen.
TREMENDOUS PACE
Rune Klausen, CEO of the National Competence Center for Offshore Wind, located in Kristiansand, finds the pace of offshore wind to be tremendous. He is worried that Norway may be moving too slow.
“Norway lacks speed and predictability. This is confirmed by international companies we have met in Hamburg,” says Klausen.
Susanne Lende, Business Developer at Business Region Kristiansand, is left with the impression that companies from Kristiansand and Agder have a great sense for what is happening in the offshore wind industry.
“It is a huge industry in which several of our companies are competing at the highest level. I am impressed by what they accomplish and by their precise analysis of the international market,” says Lende.
Trond Kristiansen, Climate and Energy Advisor at Agder County, was pleased to learn more about the local companies, the industry, and the development within offshore wind.
“This is a huge and important industry that presents great opportunities for our companies,” says Kristiansen.
For Roar Osmundsen, Chief Political Advisor at Kristiansand Chamber of Commerce, the Hamburg experience provided greater insight into the development of offshore wind.
“We are way beyond the drawing board. Offshore wind is happening now! We will continue our efforts to put pressure on decisionmakers to gain momentum and increase the speed of offshore wind in Norway,” says Osmundsen.
