Viking picks Norfolk for US offshore wind safety hub
Clean Energy targets set by US-President Joe Biden aim at harvesting 30 GW of offshore wind power by 2030 (Source: Viking)
Denmark’s Viking Life-Saving Equipment has chosen to locate a new North American offshore wind safety hub in Norfolk, Virginia. The move comes as renewable power from the wind takes a prominent position in the Biden Administration’s energy strategy.
Viking North America’s John Bratten, sales manager, Yachting and Wind Sales, will take charge of the new hub. He is positive about the sector’s future.
“Offshore wind is a young industry in the United States, but momentum is building: deals are signed, surveys progressing and turbine construction underway,” he said. “Technical challenges and policy changes lie ahead, but safety for those working in the industry comes first.”
President Biden has targeted 30 GW of offshore wind power by the end of this decade, starting from practically zero. However, there is great potential, initially for fixed-bottom installations on the east coast where waters are relatively shallow and later, floating facilities in the deeper waters off the west coast.
The country’s first commercial wind farm, Vineyard 1, is currently under development 35 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. It will start to supply up to 800 MW of renewable electricity next year.
The new hub will extend Viking’s United States network. The company already has service and parts facilities in Miami, Houston, and Long Beach, and dealers across North America.
