Offshore Wind Energy Region:Esbjerg/ Denmark * Introduction *Offshore Center Denmark * The regional Offshore Wind Sector *Businesses* Key institutions in research and education * Contacts & links *   Introduction to Esbjerg in Denmark Since the late 1960's Esbjerg (located on the west coast of Denmark) has been the centre of Danish offshore activity. When oil and gas production took pace in the 1980's, numerous offshore companies were established in Esbjerg. Today more than 200 companies working within the offshore sector are located in the Esbjerg region. Esbjerg is the natural Danish port to the North Sea - connected to the rest of the country by an effective infrastructure. The city has gained practical experience with offshore wind farms when the Horns Rev Offshore Wind Farm was erected in 2002. Also during the repairs in 2004, Esbjerg served as the base city when the 80 nacelles were demounted and brought onshore for maintenance. Offshore Center Danmark The offshore sector in Denmark, and in particular in the Esbjerg region, was strengthened in 2003 when Offshore Center Danmark was established as a regional competence centre. Partly funded by the government, the centre aims to develop new knowledge and to bring the industry together. Through its work, Offshore Center Danmark seeks to benefit from the experience of offshore oil/gas companies for the new area of offshore wind energy.   The regional offshore wind energy sector Denmark has a solid tradition within wind power - traditionally onshore, however since 1991 more than 200 turbines have been erected offshore in Danish waters. The biggest cluster of offshore wind turbines, Horns Rev, is located off the coat of Esbjerg. The total number of people employed in the wind industry exceeds 20,000. The offshore area is another important business for Denmark. Since 1972 the Danes have been extracting oil and gas from the North Sea. The main base for these operations is Esbjerg. In Ribe municipality (where Esbjerg is located) more than 8,000 people are employed in the offshore oil and gas area. Many of the businesses traditionally working with offshore oil and gas are now seeking to transfer their knowledge into the area of offshore wind power. Businesses in the Esbjerg region Esbjerg municipality hosts more than 200 companies working within the offshore sector. Most of these work with oil and gas, but an increasing number are focusing towards offshore wind power. However, offshore wind companies are not clustered in the Esbjerg area to the same extent as offshore oil and gas companies. Instead they're scattered across the country. A full directory of Danish offshore companies can be found at OffshoreBase - http://www.offshorebase.dk/. Key companies in the offshore wind sector, which are located in Esbjerg, include: Esvagt: Operating rescue and supply vessels for accessing offshore wind farms. ABB: Electrical equipment for offshore wind turbines.  RAMBØLL: Design and engineering for offshore wind turbine structures. Key institutions in research and education SURVIVALA/S Training Center: Provides safety training for service personnel working with offshore wind turbines. http://www.survival.dk/ Survival Training Maritime Safety: Provides safety training for service personnel working with offshore wind turbines. http://www.stms.dk/ Aalborg University Esbjerg: Performs research in polymer technology and turbine blades. http://www.aue.auc.dk/ Contacts and links for business advice   Contact for POWER in Esbjerg: Morten Madsen Offshore Center Danmark Niels Bohrs Vej 6 6700 Esbjerg Tel +45 3697 3672 e mm@offshorecenter.dk The following organisations work closely together to promote the offshore wind sector and provide advice to businesses. Offshore Center Danmark: Member based business organisation focusing on creation of knowledge, network and development projects. Also course provider. http://www.offshorecenter.dk/ Contact: Peter Blach / +45 3697 3670 / pb@offshorecenter.dk EU-Vest: The object of EU Vest is to find financing and give consultancy in the area of product development, IT, export, leadership, and human resource development in private companies. http://www.euvest.com/ Contact: Martin Hjort Hansen/ +32 2 280 3254 / mhj@euvest.com All photos on this page are showing the Horns Rev Offshore Wind Farm.