“It was very educational to see a port ‘in action’ and to meet with local politicians to learn and understand how they assisted the industrial transition from coal to offshore wind in their region. Some of the challenges they faced will be the same that we face in Lindesnes, including how to educate and recruit a competent work force in a new industry, and how to accommodate families that will move to our region to find work within offshore wind,” says Jan Øyvind Åvik, Deputy Mayor of Lindesnes Municipality.
AN INSPIRED MAYOR
Mathias Bernander, Mayor of Kristiansand, says he was inspired by the visit.
“Offshore wind is not a thing of the future. It is happening right here and now. In Newcastle we saw a marshalling port, an operations and maintenance base, and lots of local companies thriving from the business opportunities that the industry presents. This is something we will make happen also in Agder. Kristiansand is a renewable region with leading competence, a pro-business municipality, and great ambitions. This translates to jobs, development and growth,” says Bernander.
Tom Fidjeland, CEO of GCE NODE and Head of the regional collaboration project Fremtidens Havvind, commends the Newcastle region for systematically working to attract the offshore wind industry.
“They have done a great job and been rewarded! We are 15 years behind the UK, but we will be able to draw on their experiences to speed up our own process. We were advised to stay long-term and committed, and to have and execute on an overall plan,” says Fidjeland.
“Our visit to Newcastle confirmed our understanding of the importance of a steady flow of offshore wind projects. The UK has established a pipeline full of projects which enables the industry to make the necessary investments into infrastructure, workforce and more. Having an overall plan and sticking to it, will be important also for Norway,” says Kjell Eirik Haavold, Head of Legal at the Norwegian Competence Center for Offshore Wind.
“The ports in and around Newcastle demonstrate how ports are the basis for all activities connected to offshore wind. Ports generate jobs and create great value for local communities. A key to the success in the UK is a strong and sustained ambition for offshore wind, which triggers industrial players to invest. In Norway, we need a similar ambition and an overall plan with wide political support,” says Turid Storhaug, CEO at Windport in Mandal.
