Denmark: Anholt OWF Creates Ripple Effect among Suppliers

Construction work at Anholt Offshore Wind Farm creates a ripple effect among the project suppliers – nationally as well as locally.

The Danish wind industry has left a distinct imprint on Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm near Anholt in the Kattegat, where Danish companies account for two thirds of the contract sum and for orders worth more than DKK 300 million. Approximately 200 jobs in the Djursland region are so far the local result of the project.

Even before the Anholt Wind Farm project was launched in Grenaa in 2010, local enthusiastic activists – supported by a visionary municipal business development policy – decided to establish a network for local suppliers; a totally new and unique initiative in the shape of an umbrella organisation named Djurs Wind Power.

The purpose of Djurs Wind Power was to ensure that as many tasks as possible – during the construction phase of the wind farm as well as during the operational phase – are solved in a competent way by local suppliers.

Today, the network counts 32 suppliers: from offshore companies, carpenters and bricklayer companies, transport and logistics companies, crane suppliers and lawyers to hotels, airports and ferry companies.

 A specific example

One of the specific examples is the company Apro Wind A/S. Apro Wind A/S is headquartered in Grenaa with a branch in Esbjerg and provides highly qualified personnel for installation and service as well as offshore consultants for the global wind turbine industry.

 “Apro Wind was one of the co-initiators of Djurs Wind power and has benefited greatly from the membership. In conjunction with the various players of the Anholt project, the company has risen to the challenges and has participated in all parts of the project,” said Esben Schmidt, CEO, APRO Wind A/S.

 “This has generated around 65 local jobs and approximately 70 jobs nationwide at Apro Wind A&S, and we’ve succeeded in retaining the employees for other projects outside the Anholt project, so we’re talking about permanent jobs.The company has an incredible working relationship with DONG Energy and all their sub-suppliers, and, with a track record including the Anholt project, we’ll be able to retain and develop new jobs within the wind industry in the future.”

 Very important to the local area

The success of the Djurs Wind Power network is quite measurable. According to the latest figures, member companies have secured orders worth more than DKK 300 million, and approximately 200 new jobs were created in connection with the construction of the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm.

“There’s no doubt that Anholt Offshore Wind Farm has been very important to Norddjurs. Directly, in the form of jobs and commercial growth, but also in the numerous sign-offs, such as new people in town, news ships in the harbour and the experience of seeing a huge construction emerging on the horizon,” said Jan Petersen, Mayor, Norddjurs Municipality.

 “At the same time, the wind farm has contributed to marking out Norddjurs as a municipality willing to stake massively on growth, development and large projects. Djurs Wind Power provides a fine example of the huge benefits local industry can derive from a project such as this.”

Small, local companies

Contracts relating to the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm were put out to tender in accordance with the EU Utilities Directive, enabling a wide variety of suppliers to compete for the projects, but small, local companies have something to offer too, primarily as sub-suppliers to our main suppliers.

“Our collaboration with Djurs Wind Power has been important for the Anholt project because it has proved to be an effective communication channel between our main suppliers and the local companies,” said Flemming Thomsen, Project Director, DONG Energy.

“DONG Energy can’t give preferential treatment to specific suppliers, but by being open about our plans and choice of suppliers, both in respect of Djurs Wind Power and others, we can help to ensure a timely dialogue with local suppliers. As we ‘take up a lot of space’ locally in Djursland, it pleases us to see a great many orders going to local suppliers.”

DONG Energy expects all 111 wind turbines of the farm to be operational during the summer of 2013, and the farm will then be able to cover 4% of the total Danish power consumption. Anholt Offshore Wind Farm will help reduce the emissions to the climate in the magnitude of 1.3 million tons CO2 on an annual basis compared to producing the power at a coal-fired power station.

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Press release, April 16, 2013; Image: dongenergy