“We are incredibly proud to be selected as the location for assembly and shipping in this initial phase of the offshore wind industry on Norwegian territory. We hope this is the first of many projects for us in the offshore wind industry,” says Turid Storhaug, CEO of Windport.

It was announced this week that Windport in Mandal had received the prestigious, first assignment for the first major Norwegian offshore wind farm, Sørlige Nordsjø II.

“This is an inspiring start. We have invested heavily in offshore wind and hope to offer everything needed to build Sørlige Nordsjø II. Our proximity to the field is a huge advantage. Going forward, we need to build infrastructure and grow our expertise. If we are successful in doing so, we believe the developers will come to Mandal,” says Storhaug.

Anne Knausgård is the Country Manager of Parkwind, the largest owner and the operative party in the Ventyr consortium, which won the first license for offshore wind in Norway. Knausgård visited Windport on Wednesday to take a closer look at the very first equipment to be shipped to the location of the future wind farm.

“I see Agder as a host county for Sørlige Nordsjø II. The fact that Agder is closest to the wind farm is one thing, the services and expertise that Agder offers is another. I believe Agder will benefit greatly from the development of Sørlige Nordsjø II,” says Knausgård.

It was the Ventyr supplier AKROCEAN that selected Windport as the port for assembly and shipment of monitoring and measurement equipment for Sørlige Nordsjø II. In recent weeks, French, Irish and Norwegian teams have been working in Mandal to put together two buoys that will be placed at Sørlige Nordsjø II to measure weather and wind and also monitoring life in and at sea.

One "buoy" is in practice a small craft fitted with high-tech equipment and covered by solar panels. When the weather allows it will be towed out and placed on the Sørlige Nordsjø II field 190 kilometers southwest of Mandal.

“We will collect a large amount of data before the first wind turbines are installed. We have a lot to learn in order to make good decisions,” says Knausgård.

She emphasizes that the project creates great opportunities for the region. “The are tremendous opportunities and values created offshore – but also onshore. A large operation such as Sørlige Nordsjø II requires professionals in many different industries. There are great opportunities here for the local business community,” says Knausgård.

Moffatt & Nichol

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