RWE, NTE and Havfram: joint participation in floating offshore wind project in Norway

Sven Utermöhlen, CEO Offshore Wind RWE Renewables: “Utsira Nord is an excellent opportunity for us to develop a floating offshore wind project on an industrial scale with two strong Norwegian partners. In the field of floating offshore wind power, we are doing pioneering work at no less than three demonstration plants, including the TetraSpar Demonstrator which is being commissioned now at its site less than 20 kilometres from Utsira Nord. We will put the knowledge and experience we have gained in our pilot projects to work in Norway in the future.”

Christian Stav, CEO of NTE, explains: “NTE is in the forefront of producing and delivering renewable energy. To be able to reach the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement and to successfully accomplish the green transition, we need to increase the production of renewable energy. Hydropower and floating wind are perfectly complementary energy sources in the Nordic energy mix. Therefore, we look forward to collaborating with RWE and Havfram as we are now taking the first steps towards developing floating wind in the Norwegian North Sea together. The technical know-how and international experience of our partners complement our local expertise across the entire value chain.”

The partners are convinced that offshore wind energy will be a key component in the future energy mix and one of the solutions to meeting the growing demand for renewables. Moreover, it will permit new industries to develop and will lead to news jobs being created. “The expansion of offshore wind is a crucial factor for a successful energy transition in Norway. With RWE and NTE, we strive to advance this transition, and aim to be a valuable addition to Norway’s marine energy sector,” says Odd Strømsnes, CEO of Havfram.

According to current findings, 80 per cent of the marine areas potentially available for wind farms worldwide are suitable only for floating technology. From a depth of about 60 metres, foundations firmly anchored to the seabed are hardly economic. For this reason, RWE is conducting in-depth research and development work for floating offshore wind technology. The company is currently investigating the potential of this innovative technology in three joint ventures in Norway, the US and Spain, and is thus in an ideal position to carry out further projects in the Norwegian North Sea.

Havfram is a Norwegian subsea and offshore wind contractor with a global footprint, with subsidiaries in the US, the UK and others. Havfram has wide experience in planning and execution of complex offshore operations. The company has a large engineering and project implementation team that provides synergies between the business areas and will greatly benefit in the development of this Norwegian area.

Apart from Utsira Nord, the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has designated another area for offshore renewables: Sørlige Nordsjø II. RWE has already expressed interest in this area, which borders the Danish sector in the North Sea.

NTE
NTE is one of the largest producers of renewable energy in Norway. The company, owned by 19 municipalities in Trøndelag in central Norway, generates some 4 gigawatt hours of green electricity per year – which corresponds to the annual consumption of about 500,000 people. In addition, NTE is the leading provider of fibre-optic internet access in the region.

Havfram

Havfram is a global maritime company within subsea O&G and offshore wind. The company is based in Stavanger and has offices in Oslo, Aberdeen, Houston, Dubai and Perth. Havfram has a large internal engineering and project implementation team that provides synergies across the business segments. Havfram is owned by HitecVision, a leading investor in the European offshore energy sector. Learn more at www.havfram.com

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current views, expectations and assumptions of management, and are based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee the occurrence of future results and developments and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual future results and developments may deviate materially from the expectations and assumptions expressed in this document due to various factors. These factors primarily include changes in the general economic and competitive environment. Furthermore, developments on financial markets and changes in currency exchange rates as well as changes in national and international laws, in particular in respect of fiscal regulation, and other factors influence the company’s future results and developments. Neither the company nor any of its affiliates undertakes to update the statements contained in this press release.