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The European
focus on renewables
is creating good
results within
offshore wind and
large expectations
to the future
Danish offshore Wind
Industry is booming
Following the installation of offshore wind
farms such as Horns Rev outside Esbjerg, and
Nysted south of the island of Lolland-Falster
5 years ago, Denmark took the lead within
offshore wind, and became the world’s premier
developer and knowledge center within
offshore wind. Today, Denmark supplies
around 90% of the offshore wind farms produced
in the world. In the North Sea, namely
in the UK and Germany, a rapid development
is occurring, and now the rest of Europe, as
well as the USA, Canada and latest China, is
following. Large investments are taking place
worldwide these years, with an overall scope
to reduce the amount of CO2 released to the
surroundings, but also caused by offshore
wind proving itself a reliable and economic
alternative form of energy.
Latest England and Germany have sent
strong political signals favouring an increase
in the share of offshore wind power, and on
the European Offshore Wind (EOW) Conference
in Berlin December 4th-6th 2007, the
Danish, German and Swedish government
signed a declaration regarding cooperation in
development and planning of offshore windpower.
This declaration was the fi nal result
of the Offshore Center Danmark initiated
conference Copenhagen Offshore Wind in
2005, where the initial declarations had been
made. Germany is now increasing the feed-in
tariff for wind energy produced by offshore
wind parks, and according to Herman Albert,
President of the German Wind Industry Association,
massive investments in German
offshore wind farms are now on their way.
It has been a long waiting period
At a European level, there is a now a historical
focus on offshore wind energy, and with
the Danish expertise within development,
production, installation and service of offshore
wind farms, the Danish offshore wind
industry is facing a boom.
- We have been waiting for this for years, Kai
Lindvig states, CEO of Danish A2SEA, a
supplier of transport, installation and service
of offshore wind farms.
A2SEA is a market leader within its fi eld,
and Kai Lindvig was invited to open the
European Offshore Wind conference. He
is convinced that the frame for a long-term
investment horizon within offshore wind has
been created.
- With this new political framework, an
environment has been created, where the
industry is willing to invest long-term in the
applications required. As an example consider
England, where the political climate has
brought us many new offshore wind farms
during the last few yeas, and we now see a
similar development in Germany and several
more countries, Kai Lindvig explains.
- A2SEA will now invest in more vessels
for transport of offshore wind turbines, as
we consider the preconditions for a market
growth to be satisfi ed, Kai Lindvig continues.
A2SEA is presently installing offshore wind
turbines at Robin Rig in England. 60 Vestas
wind turbines producing 180 MW are being
installed, with MT Højgaard installing the
foundations.
Risk for shortage of supplies
The Danish offshore wind suppliers should
have a good chance to be busy in the coming
years, with their high expertise and
experience within offshore wind farms. The
English government will increase the number
of offshore wind turbines from 1900 to 3454,
with 556 already being installed, and the
German governments new fee-in tariff is expected
to boost the number of offshore wind
farms dramatically in the coming years. In
the midst of the joy, however, there is a risk
of shortage of supplies, Kai Lindvig states.
- The rise in the demand of expertise may
for a period create a temporary shortage in
supply. This goes for foundations, piles, wind
turbines as well as vessels. But this shortage
will be quickly eliminated, as the industry
adjusts itself to the new situation. A new
peak for Danish offshore wind energy will be
reached in the coming years.
Offshore Center Danmark
Yearbook 2008
23