RWE and the Swedish Port of Karlshamn have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The aim of this collaboration is to explore whether Port of Karlshamn could be a suitable harbour for the logistics, installation, operations and maintenance activities relating to RWE’s planned offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea.

Matilda Machacek, Vice President of Offshore Development Nordics at RWE Offshore Wind: “Port capacity and a sustainable supply chain industry are key to the deployment of offshore wind projects. And a new offshore wind farm has the potential to transform a nearby harbour into a dynamic hub that catalyses significantly growth, infrastructure, jobs and economic benefits for the region. That is why we are looking forward to collaborating with Port of Karlshamn to evaluate their potential as future offshore wind hub.”

Anton Andersson, Project Lead at RWE Renewables Sweden: “Our Karehamn offshore wind farm is a great example also for harbour development. It has been reliably generating green electricity for thousands of Swedish homes for more than a decade. Thanks to the wind farm the old fishing harbour has been revitalised. Based on this success RWE plans to build more offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea.”

Caroline Säfström, CEO at Port of Karlshamn: “Port of Karlshamn is proud that RWE, one of the world’s leading offshore wind companies, is supporting us in our plans to become a hub for offshore wind. With its natural deep harbour and large shipyard, Port of Karlshamn is well positioned to meet the future needs of the offshore wind industry in the Baltic Sea. We recognise the demand for port capacity related to offshore wind energy, including after-sales services such as maintenance and operations centres. Expanding the port’s product portfolio in this direction is a natural step given our previous experience with wind energy projects and logistics. By establishing itself as a hub for offshore wind energy, Port of Karlshamn is also creating employment opportunities for the region and promoting business opportunities for local companies and suppliers, thus contributing to the economic development of the area and strengthening the local economy.”

In a first step, the partners will map the requirements and necessary build outs and investments to facilitate the scaling-up of the ports capacity. An early implementation of port capacity will ensure that Sweden is well placed to maximise the potential of the offshore wind industry. This collaboration demonstrates a clear commitment to share knowledge and expertise, in support of broader industrial growth in Sweden.

RWE is one of the world’s largest offshore wind companies with more than 20-year track record of developing, building, and operating offshore wind projects efficiently. The company currently operates 19 offshore wind farms. Two offshore wind farms, Thor (1.1 GW) in Denmark and Sofia (1.4 GW) in the UK, are under construction, and further projects are in development worldwide. RWE plans to grow its global offshore wind capacity from 3.3 GW today to 10 GW in 2030.

Source: RWE