In recent years, Aibel has established a leading position as supplier of converter platforms for bottom-fixed offshore wind farms, while Nexans is a leading supplier of high-voltage cables and other associated equipment. With the new collaboration, Aibel and Nexans aim to strengthen the development and position of deliveries to the market for floating offshore wind. The collaboration does not constitute an exclusive obligation, but the parties see great advantages in the mutual exchange of data and information. This will contribute to accelerate technological development and optimisation of the companies' deliveries within floating offshore wind.
“Floating offshore wind is a segment with enormous potential but needs further development and maturity to ensure profitable solutions. At the same time, it is a strategically important area for Aibel in the company’s further transition into renewables,” says President and CEO of Aibel, Mads Andersen. He is supplemented by EVP of business development and supply chain, Liv-Runi Syvertsen:
"For example, we see an increased need for floating facilities that enable energy production further from shore and at deeper water in a competitive and profitable way for the operators," she says.
Nexans has recently developed and been awarded a contract for the world’s first deep-water dynamic cable at 145 kV. The technology behind this is one of several technological jigsaw pieces, along with extensive experience from the delivery of dynamic systems, which are central to the way forward towards dynamic export cables for floating offshore wind.
“We expect to see floating offshore wind reaching gigawatt scale before 2030. This is a technical challenge in light of existing cable technology. In order to address this, we have taken, and must continue to do so, measures to bring forward new technology. At the same time, we see that our own and Aibel’s deliveries can affect each other, so that development with insight into any limitations can have an effect on cost and functional properties," says Bjørn Sanden from Nexans and adds:
“Furthermore, the collaboration will highlight world leading Norwegian value chains and the supplier industry towards the offshore wind area. Both Aibel and Nexans are benefiting from extensive experience from the oil and gas sector, where challenging marine environments have been important drivers for the development of solutions.”
Aibel and Nexans will also actively explore and carry out joint development projects to the extent it is useful, and together investigate and pursue opportunities for participation in research projects.
Published 03 February 2023
