Norwind Offshore, headquartered in Ålesund, Norway, believes the outlook for offshore wind vessels is bright, with demand continuously rising. This Norwegian emerging offshore energy company plans to further expand its fleet and continue scaling up its operations after the delivery of newbuilds in the coming two years.
Surge in Demand for Offshore Wind Vessels
Svein Leon Aure, CEO of Norwind Offshore, stated that the company expects revenue to reach 70 million euros (82 million US dollars) in 2025, noting that the “demand for offshore wind vessels is continuously increasing.”
“We realized between 2019 and 2020 that a new energy transformation was sweeping the North Sea – namely, the offshore wind industry. With the launch of numerous new wind farm projects, the demand for such vessels will surge accordingly,” he added.
Norwind Offshore hopes to play a key role in the offshore energy transition. Svein Leon Aure said: “We aim to assist in the transition to clean, renewable energy, and we want to participate using our strength – namely, advanced offshore operational capabilities. Our core target market is the offshore wind sector, while we also see opportunities in emerging areas like carbon capture and storage, and offshore hydrogen production.”
However, Norwind Offshore’s vessels can also serve the oil and gas industry. Svein Leon Aure explained: “The commonality among these fields is that they all revolve around ‘energy,’ involving offshore operations and seabed infrastructure. All these markets require advanced offshore operational support.”
Initially, Norwind Offshore anticipated the strongest demand in Europe, but now markets in other regions are also growing.
The company’s vessels have already served wind giant Vestas in Asia and Petrobras in Brazil.
Furthermore, the 89-meter newbuild “Norwind Maestro,” constructed by Vard for the company, has secured a 10-year charter with Wind Multiplikator and will serve the Global Tech 1 offshore wind farm in the German sector of the North Sea.
Potential for Further Newbuild Orders
Norwind Offshore was established in 2021 through a joint venture by three Norwegian industrial groups: Farstad, Kleven, and Volstad. In 2022, Danish fund management company Navigare Capital Partners, which focuses on maritime asset investments, invested in the company.
Currently, Norwind Offshore operates 5 wind farm commissioning service operation vessels, and has additionally ordered 3 newbuilds.
Two of these are being built by Vard Soviknes and are expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027 respectively; the company has also ordered one Energy Construction Vessel (ECV) from Vard’s shipyard in Vung Tau, Vietnam, scheduled for delivery in May next year.
Svein Leon Aure added that the company might order more such newbuilds in the future, noting that “the application scenarios for Energy Construction Vessels are very broad.”
Focus on Vessel Energy Efficiency and Consumption Reduction
As a service provider in the offshore wind industry, sustainable development is an important direction for Norwind Offshore. The company has launched the “Norwind 1000” project, aiming to reduce the vessels’ average daily fuel consumption from 2000 liters to 1000 liters.
Svein Leon Aure explained: “We are researching optimization solutions for engines and thrusters, among other things. We have equipped the vessels with battery packs, enabling ‘peak shaving and valley filling’ and spinning reserve – during favorable weather conditions, only one engine is needed for dynamic positioning, with the battery pack serving as backup.”
Additionally, Norwind Offshore is installing electric gangways and cranes on its vessels to reduce energy consumption.
The company’s vessels can accommodate 87 people, including 60 wind farm technicians and a crew of up to 27. Svein Leon Aure said: “We can reduce energy consumption through detailed optimization of the accommodation units, such as rational use of hot water, turning off unused lights and air conditioning, etc.”
