Official visit to USA: Offshore wind and green maritime industry

Good morning, everyone!   

It is fantastic to be back in California and back in the Bay Area here in San Francisco. A few years ago I was a student right across the bay bridge there, at UC Berkeley. I was very excited about coming to this area, being able to be a student at one of the most impressive universities and in this really vibrant area of the United States. It is fantastic to be back.

One of the first things I did when I came here was to go into the ocean. I had been wind surfing since I was a little kid, and now I wanted to start surfing. Anyone who has gone to Ocean Beach here at five thirty will know that it is brutal, so I had a tough time. It was really difficult to get out there. A lot of paddling and a lot of frustration. 

You know, what happens with surfing is that you have a storm quite far away, and it builds up energy with the water and it brings all this energy - it transports with the waves. And if you time it just right, you are able to harness that energy. And you can get this wonderful feeling of getting a connection to the ocean and with the elements.

And this brings me to today's topic... :)
Because it is harnessing the wind, the power of nature. 

California has some of the best offshore wind potential in the country and is uniquely positioned for the clean energy revolution.  

With its ambitious climate commitments, California has emerged as a global leader in the green transition. The spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship and optimism so characteristic of California’s identity is crucial as we address the global climate challenges.   

The aim of today’s conference is to explore how we best can work together to accelerate the green transition.

We will look at how new technology can help to shape a more sustainable future for the maritime industry, with a particular focus on offshore wind, green shipping and sustainable ports.  

California and Norway share a vision of developing clean and green energy solutions that will have positive impacts for the economy and the environment alike. 

Given our deep-water coastlines, we both have a special interest in exploring floating offshore wind power. As a global hub for technological innovation, California is well positioned to lead the way in advancing and implementing this sophisticated technology. 

In Norway we have found that our experience with building and operating complex offshore installations can be directly transferred and applied to the challenges and opportunities posed by offshore wind projects. We have quite a bit of experience in working with offshore technology in the deep sea in harsh, dark and cold climate. So if we can do it Norway hopefully you can do in most other places as well.

Last summer, I had the pleasure of opening the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm – Hywind Tampen – 90 miles off the coast in the Norwegian North Sea. With eleven floating wind turbines, producing 88 MW of renewable energy, it represents a new chapter in Norway’s history as an energy pioneer. 

The combination of California’s entrepreneurial spirit and Norway’s experience with offshore installations in harsh marine environments provides the framework for a partnership with great potential.

I hope that your shared efforts will pave the way for a wide range of new, forward-looking partnerships. I wish you the best of luck.

Thank you.