Blåvinge, the partnership between Fred. Olsen Seawind, Hafslund Eco, and Ørsted which plans to bid in the upcoming offshore wind auction in Norway, is entering into an exclusive collaboration with Rosenberg Worley to develop floating offshore wind farms.
Under the agreement, the Blåvinge partners and Rosenberg will jointly develop plans for how large-scale floating wind farms can be established in Norway with the help of Norwegian suppliers.
Ørsted joined Fred. Olsen Renewables and Hafslund Eco on offshore wind plans in Norway last year, when the companies said they aimed at delivering both bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind power while developing the Norwegian supply chain for the expected large-scale build-out of offshore wind in Norway and in Europe.
If Blåvinge is granted a permit to develop offshore wind at Utsira Nord, major investments will be made, including the construction of floating wind foundations, which will result in a significant number of man-years, in both the development and construction phases, according to the consortium.
The Norwegian service and supply industry is uniquely positioned to utilise its offshore expertise to develop new solutions and create value in the offshore wind industry – not just in Norway, but internationally, Blåvinge said.
“Few companies better represent the restructuring that the Norwegian service and supply industry underwent in the early days of the petroleum activities in Norway than Rosenberg. At that time, Rosenberg was transformed from a shipyard into a major supplier of projects to the oil and gas industry. Through the partnership with Blåvinge, Rosenberg can now become a key supplier to the renewables industry” , the consortium said.
The news comes shortly after the Norwegian Government announced that it had proposed the sites in the Utsira Nord lease area, where the floating wind sites are planned to be awarded, to be allocated based on qualitative criteria, rather than through an auction.
The Government’s decision is based on the feedback from the industry, which emphasised qualitative criteria as the preferred allocation model for this area, together with clear and objective criteria and an aim to facilitate the development of the supply chain.
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