AFRY talks about its increasing presence in offshore wind

AFRY and its increasing global presence in Offshore Wind
In the past three decades AFRY has actively participated in over 400 wind power projects worldwide, contributing to a total of over 70GW of renewable energy. In this interview, Mariska Jongbloed will engage in a conversation with Peter Plug, Head of Renewables and Thermal Power at AFRY, to delve into his perspectives and future predictions regarding floating wind, nature-inclusive design, system integration, and the emerging markets in the Baltics and Asia.

We understand AFRY has established itself as a top consultant in offshore wind. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Indeed, a few years ago AFRY set high ambitious goals to become a leading consultant in offshore wind as we recognized the immense potential and importance of offshore wind in the global energy transition. Since then, we have been quickly expanding our global presence, focusing on traditional offshore wind design and engineering, and also grid connection, system integration, circularity, floating wind & solar and nature inclusive design. Our recent acquisition of BLIX Consultancy is an example of that, but also our existing offshore wind engineering teams in Europe and Asia, plus our globally operating management consultancy division.

Can you tell us a bit more about these new areas of offshore wind development?
We want to be at the forefront of the energy transition, so we have developed a broader strategy of providing holistic and sustainable consultancy solutions in the offshore wind industry. We are actively engaged in the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions, leveraging our strong presence and expertise, to develop nature-inclusive projects and optimize system integration with power-to-x projects. Additionally, in Asia, we are utilizing our knowledge and experience to drive the adoption of floating wind and solar projects, complementing the bottom-fixed offshore wind initiatives in the region.

Why do you think that Asia is an important market?
In Asia specifically Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan are strategically positioned with good wind resources, making them ideal locations for offshore wind projects. Not only these countries, but many other Asian countries are looking for European experience, local energy sources and to diversify their energy mix and mitigate the impacts of climate change. As a result, they have set ambitious renewable energy targets, with offshore wind playing a crucial role in achieving those goals. Finally, some of these locations are in deep water, so we believe the first large scale floating wind projects will emerge there.

Can you give a concrete project example?
Hai Long is a prominent offshore wind project in Taiwan, with a planned capacity of 1044 MW, which we are helping to reach financial close. It represents the growing momentum of offshore wind development in the country. Taiwan has emerged as a leader in offshore wind in Asia, offering a supportive regulatory framework and attractive feed-in tariff rates, which gave them a head start, but not all implemented policies have made the development of projects in Taiwan easy. We have helped the Hai Long project to navigate in Taiwan’s offshore wind market, leveraging our global experience and collaborating with local stakeholders to facilitate its successful development and execution.

You just mentioned both development and execution of projects, why do you think it is important to be involved throughout the whole value chain of these projects?
By actively participating throughout the entire value chain, we can deliver end-to-end solutions that encompass not only the technical aspects but also the broader business, financial, and operational considerations. Our consultants bring expertise in project management, market advisory, owner’s engineering, stakeholder engagement, due diligence, permitting, and regulatory compliance. For our clients we develop comprehensive strategies, optimize project performance, and mitigate risks.

Any final comments?
As we look ahead, we are excited about the future of offshore wind and the transformative impact it can have on the global energy landscape. AFRY will continue to invest in our skills, knowledge and expertise, foster collaboration with industry leaders, in order to continue to stay at the forefront of the energy transition.

Note: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Offshore-Wind.biz