Implenia, WWJ to set up floating wind foundations plant in Norway

Swiss construction company Implenia AG (SWX:IMPN) and Norway's WindWorks Jelsa (WWJ) have reached a definitive agreement on the establishment of a production and assembly facility for large concrete or steel structures for the floating offshore wind industry at Norway’s west coast.

The parties have also signed an investment agreement that will see Implenia joining Norwegian base services and logistics solutions provider Norsea Group AS as an equal minority owner with a 41% stake in WWJ, according to a statement released this week.

The definitive agreement comes after Implenia and WWJ inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the contemplated project back in October 2022.

As part of the cooperation, Implenia will contribute its experience and know-how in site design and planning as well as in strategy and market approach. For Implenia, which is an expert in concrete structures, the partnership supports its push to become an important player in the renewable energy market and floating offshore in particular.

The facility is anticipated to be ready by 2032 with the first “pre-production” phase of the project expected to last between 2023-2026. The site will have a production and assembly area of 800,000 square metres (8.61 million sq ft), including warehouses and workshops, purpose-designed launching systems as well as heavy load quays.

The production and assembly plant will be based in the village of Jelsa in Suldal municipality and will target the European market.

WWJ was founded in 2020 by NorSea, Suldal municipality and Ryfylke IKS to explore the possibility of establishing an industrial plant in Jelsa to build and assemble floating wind turbines. It targets building floating wind turbines for a total output of 1 GW per year.

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