The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) and Japan’s OYO Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on offshore wind projects, research and knowledge sharing, marking a step in NGI’s expansion into the Japanese offshore wind market.
The agreement was signed on 3 June at the Japan-Norway Ocean Future Forum in Tokyo by Noel Boylan, Managing Director of NGI in Perth, and Tsukasa Endo, Executive Officer for the Energy Business Division at OYO.
Under the MoU, the two organisations will work together on offshore wind projects in Japan, combining OYO’s experience in offshore site investigations and local market knowledge with NGI’s offshore geotechnical engineering and design expertise.
The cooperation will cover areas including site characterisation, seismic and geohazard assessment, advanced laboratory testing, and foundation design for offshore wind projects, including floating wind developments. The partners also plan to pursue joint research activities and publications.
According to NGI, the agreement formalises an existing working relationship and comes as the two organisations are already preparing to undertake joint projects in the coming months. The collaboration will also involve exchanges between the companies’ technical teams, with OYO set to visit NGI’s office and laboratory facilities in Perth following a recent NGI visit to Japan.
“NGI and OYO have already built a strong working relationship, and this MoU formalises a cooperation we’re keen to deepen”, said Noel Boylan , Managing Director at NGI’s Perth office.
Founded in 1954, OYO is one of Japan’s largest geoscience and geo-engineering consulting companies and has been involved in site investigation work for the country’s offshore wind sector. NGI said the partnership could be expanded beyond Japan in the future as the companies explore additional opportunities in offshore wind and related fields.