<strong>New agreement strengthens Irish-Norwegian collaboration on ports</strong>

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The collaboration agreement was signed on Wednesday 1 June by Alfred Risan, leader of Norwegian Offshore Wind´s working group on Ireland, and Jose Jerry Hallissey, Head of Business development at Shannon Foynes Port Company.

Norwegian Offshore Wind has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Shannon Foynes Port Company in Irland.

The agreement is an important step towards further collaboration on market activities in both the Irish and Norwegian offshore wind market.

 -The ports in Norway and Ireland are a vital component in the supply chain in offshore wind, and thus imperative for the countries in Northern Europe to reach their renewable ambitions, says Arvid Nesse, manager of Norwegian Offshore Wind. He represents more than 365 companies in the Norwegian offshore wind sector, which makes them the biggest actor in Norway within this field.

The agreement will strengthen the cooperation between the ports along the Norwegian coast and one of the hubs for floating wind in Ireland.

-I am convinced that the agreement will create a cooperation platform for market and RDI activities that will be mutually beneficial for Norway, Ireland and the entire industry in Northern Europe, says Nesse. 

Shannon Foynes Port Company is Ireland’s second largest port operator and largest bulk port company. They have statutory jurisdiction over all marine activities on a 500 km2 area on the Shannon Estuary, stretching from Kerry to Loop Head to Limerick City on Ireland’s Atlantic Coastline.

Research, development and innovation

An important goal in the agreement is that Norwegian companies will get a gateway into the fast-emerging Irish offshore wind market.

Moreover, the agreement provides a platform for research, development and innovation (RDI) activities for Irish and Norwegian companies.

-Norway is a world leader in the development of floating wind and it’s this very technology that will enable Ireland to not alone meet its longer term climate change targets but become an international energy hub for the first time in our history. The Shannon Estuary will be a key enabler of that because of its proximity to offshore winds and its deep waters, which are essential for supply chain, says Shannon Foynes Port Company CEO Pat Keating.

 

Main points in the agreement

Norwegian Offshore Wind and Shannon Foynes Port company have agreed on the following:

• Shared events where the membership of both parties are invited to participate. Topics for such events to be decided by mutual agreement between the parties or by input from their membership.
• Opportunities to do business – both parties agree to disseminate opportunities to do business. These can take the form of ‘Meet the Buyer’ industry events in either country, knowledge of tender opportunities, innovation funding calls etc.
• Partnership working – encourage knowledge exchange between respective cluster members and assist the members to form partnerships or joint ventures to win new business (from any of the activities outlined in 2. above) or develop new products and services.
• Dissemination – support the sharing of media campaigns, press activity, online media and other PR activity from either cluster through cluster networks e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter, web sites etc            
• Joint Research, development and Innovation projects – stimulate the parties to establish joint RDI projects in the Irish offshore wind marked or the Norwegian Offshore Wind market. 

PICTURE: The collaboration agreement was signed on Wednesday 1 June by Alfred Risan, leader of Norwegian Offshore Wind working group on Ireland, and Jose Jerry Hallissey, Head of Business development at Shannon Foynes Port Company.

 

Contact:

 

Norwegian Offshore Wind: Arvid Nesse, arvid.nesse@offshore-wind.no, +47 975 97 384

Shannon Foynes Port Company: Jerry Hallisey, jhallissey@sfpc.ie, +353 (0) 87 7054187

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