Cluster Insight with Odfjell Oceanwind

– Our long-term plan is to become a leading solution provider to floating wind parks like ScotWind and Utsira Nord, says Kenneth Fossøy.

Cluster Insight is a column where we ask six questions to catch a glimpse into the daily business-lives of the partners and members of GCE Ocean Technology.

This week we have spoken with Kenneth Fossøy to learn more about him, and his work in Odfjell Oceanwind - a company that develops, owns and operates a fleet of floating Mobile Offshore Wind Units (MOWUs) with the primary purpose of supplying electricity to "off-grid" or "micro-grid" consumers.

1. What is your role in Odfjell Oceanwind?

I am responsible for business development in the company.

2. Your primary focus at work right now is?

Our primary focus now is to secure the first contracts for our MOWU (Mobile Offshore Wind Units) concept with oil and gas clients on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. We are in advanced discussions with clients to achieve this.

These units’ primary purpose is supplying electricity to "off-grid" or "micro-grid" consumers. Our MOWUs are either owned by clients or provided on a rental basis and can be bundled into different scale wind farms installed near the client.

At the end of the project period, we move the MOWUs to the next location, reusing all assets. Odfjell Oceanwind’s MOWU is the first floating wind turbine designed to truly support mobility, with efficient mobilization and demobilization as a result.

3. Biggest challenges and opportunities for Odfjell Oceanwind in the future?

We work primarily within the domain of electrification of oil and gas fields with floating wind, which is the immediate demand we would like to address with our solutions. Our long-term plan is to become a leading solution provider to floating wind parks like ScotWind and Utsira Nord.

Demands within both of these two floating wind domains are expected to increase significantly, and the project pipeline is quite large and mature.

Apart from general industry challenges like cost escalations, the biggest challenge we currently face is within regulatory and permitting processes. These processes are typically time-consuming and regulations are not necessarily adapted to the fast-track approach to electrification that our business model delivers. However, we see that having good and constructive dialogue with key stakeholders like authorities and fisheries are useful in order to mitigate this risk.

4. Best part of being member in a cluster?

To become part of a community of relevance and where we may learn more, meet new clients, partners and suppliers are of great value to us.

5. Your business/life motto

Where there is a will, there is a way.

6. Which cluster member should we interview next?

OneSubsea.

Thank you for the insight Kenneth.