Page 24 - Danish Offshore Industry 2019

7,000 km of coastline, which has contributed to a strong HOW CAN YOU GO ON DEVELOPING?
offshore wind pedigree. As a perennial industry leader, I think from a technology point of view, the sky is still
Denmark has been home to the best minds in wind. the limit. Those of us who have been in the industry a
When MHI Vestas began in April 2014, we decided to put long time remember back when 2 MW seemed like the
our roots down in Denmark because of these important limit, and now we’re at 10 MW and still climbing, so I’m
factors. Now, through the manufacturing of our V164 confident the technology will continue to develop. What
turbine platform in Lindø and Nakskov, Denmark is home remains to be seen is if there will be sufficient volume
to the world’s most powerful commercially available and a stable pipeline in our key markets so that compa-
wind turbine. nies like MHI Vestas and those throughout the supply
chain have the visibility and confidence to continue
We are seeing, however, that with other countries de- investing in innovation.
claring increasingly strong ambition for offshore wind
projects and supply chain buildouts, Denmark’s current It’s very important that we see governments setting
pipeline may not be enough to retain its top position. clear targets, provide visibility into their offshore wind
While the Danish government’s current energy policy is a ambitions, and provide the proper policy framework so
good start (2.4 GW of offshore wind projects up to 2030), that offshore wind can succeed and take its place as an
we believe this could be raised substantially not only indispensable part of the global energy mix.
to meet Denmark’s energy demand but also to ensure
that the sector’s industrial investments, highly-skilled
manufacturing jobs, and innovation activities remain in
Denmark, even as the industry goes global.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES FOR YOU BOTH AS A
COMPANY AND AS AN INDUSTRY?
One of the primary challenges we face as a company,
and as an industry, is that the volume found in offshore
wind measured in unit numbers is relatively small com-
pared with the pace of innovation and power output
of the turbines. Innovating by nature costs money, and
huge leaps forward are expensive, so the challenge
which we have embraced is to innovate in a smart way,
incrementally, so that we bring suppliers along with us
so that the pace of turbine innovation tracks alongside
all of the supportive functions such as cranes, shipping
vessels, and transport vehicles.

22 / BOUNDARIES ARE PUSHED