OSLO, Norway, Jan. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker ASA
("Aker") today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Aker
Horizons AS ("Aker Horizons"), and Aker Offshore Wind Operating
Company AS ("Aker Offshore Wind") have entered into a cooperation
agreement with Statkraft AS ("Statkraft") to explore possibilities
for collaboration on offshore wind power projects on the Norwegian
Continental Shelf ("NCS").
Aker Horizons, Aker Offshore Wind and Statkraft (the "Parties")
will work together and utilize their complementary skills and
expertise to explore the possibility to develop and operate
large-scale offshore wind parks in Norway. By harnessing excellent offshore wind
resources in the North Sea, the Parties aim to export green
electricity to European customers. The agreement reinforces Aker
Offshore Wind's ongoing efforts in being a driving force for the
industrialization of offshore wind in Norway and internationally and solidifies Aker
Horizons' role as a leading planet-positive investment company.
"Statkraft has been making clean energy possible for over a
century. A partnership that couples Europe's largest renewable energy producer
with Aker's 180-year track record and industrial expertise,
especially on the NCS, has the potential to redefine Norway as an energy nation. Norway's leading offshore industry, including
a strong supplier industry, means we already have the building
blocks and capabilities in place to be at the forefront of the
energy transition. We look forward to working with Statkraft to
develop the offshore wind industry further, reducing emissions and
creating new jobs for the future," says Øyvind Eriksen, President
and Chief Executive Officer of Aker ASA and Chairman of Aker
Horizons.
"By entering a cooperation with Aker Horizons and Aker Offshore
Wind, we are exploring a value-creative opportunity in Norway. We have expertise in the development
and operations of wind power and have previously been engaged in
offshore wind in the UK. Strong growth, falling technology costs
and a changed competitor landscape indicates that offshore wind
will take a larger role in the European energy transition;
therefore, we see the cooperation with Aker Offshore Wind as an
opportunity for substantial value creation and accelerate
Europe's green transition," says
Statkraft Chief Executive Officer, Christian Rynning-Tønnesen.
The partnership will explore the opportunity for bottom-fixed
offshore wind at Sørlige Nordsjø II ("SN2"), for which the Parties
will establish an integrated project team, equally split between
Aker Offshore Wind and Statkraft, for joint preparation and
submission of an acreage application and further development
activities. Aker Offshore Wind, being a pure play offshore wind
developer with an ambition to become a full-fledged independent
power producer (IPP), will play a leading role in the construction
phase. As the largest provider of green electricity in Europe, Statkraft will lead the operations
phase and the marketing of the green electricity. Aker Horizons,
Aker's investment platform dedicated to investing in, incubating,
and developing companies within renewable energy and
decarbonization technologies, will play an active role in the
overall management of the cooperation, adding value with its
expertise within financial structuring, strategy project execution
and deploying digital solutions. Together, the Parties are
evaluating export possibilities to Europe and the UK and electrification of oil
and gas assets for possible value adding offtake.
"The cooperation agreement comes at a time when we see large
global ambitions for offshore wind development and a window of
opportunity to put Norway at the
forefront of a growing global industry. For SN2, we have already
identified and will leverage key differentiators, including
Statkraft's renewable energy track record and the Aker ecosystem's
deep domain expertise. Capabilities and experience across the Aker
Horizons portfolio, which we significantly strengthened with the
recent addition of Mainstream Renewable Power, will be mobilized to
support Aker Offshore Wind in the development and implementation of
the project. We look forward to working together with Statkraft
towards our common goal of using one of the fastest growing energy
sources in the world to reach a carbon free future," says Kristian
Røkke, Chief Executive Officer at Aker Horizons.
For more information, please contact:
Christina Chappell Glenn, Head of
Investor Relations, Aker ASA
Tel: +47 90532774
Email: christina.glenn@akerasa.com
Atle Kigen, Head of Corporate
Communications, Aker ASA
Tel: +47 90784878
Email: atle.kigen@akerasa.com
Ivar Simensen, Communications,
Aker Horizons and Aker Offshore Wind
Tel: +47 46402317
Email: ivar.simensen@akerhorizons.com
This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant
to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
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