Aker Kvaerner Verdal has been pursuing the potential of offshore wind as a new market opportunity for the last two to three years. "The contract with Multibrid represents a breakthrough for Aker Kvaerner Verdal", says Bjørnar Skjevik, president of the fabrication yard. "We see great potential in a future offshore wind energy market with 5-MW-turbines in Europe. A successful delivery to Multibrid could pave way for future projects and deliveries from Verdal."

The contract to Aker Kvaerner Verdal, our fabrication yard in Mid-Norway, includes procurement of materials, rolling of tubulars, and construction until seafastening onto a transport vessel. The substructures will have a weight of approximately 700 tonnes each and a height of some 45 metres. The substructures will be installed at a water depth of approximately 30 metres.

Rolling of tubulars will start in November 2007 while the assembly in Verdal will commence in January 2008. The first six substructures will be delivered in July 2008 while the remaining seven will be delivered in September 2008. The contract is expected to engage some 120 people at the Aker Kvaerner Verdal yard. "Our top priorities are to deliver these windmills without any harm to people or the environment, on time and with superb quality. These elements have become the trademark for deliveries of steel structures from Aker Kvaerner to clients in the energy sector", says Skjevik.

The structures will bear Multibrid's M5000 wind turbines having a rated power of 5.000 kW each. The 13 turbines to be installed in 2008 will deliver power to about 80.000 4-person-households. The M5000 is a wind turbine designed designated for the harsh offshore environment including a sophisticated air treatments system and incorporating nearly all support systems redundantly.

Another 14 structures are to be installed in the project Côte d'Albâtre in 2009. Beginning in 2009 the next two big offshore projects in Germany ("BW II" and "MEG I", consisting of 80 turbines each) are scheduled to commence.

The technical planning, engineering and design as well as the contracting work had been done by OWT Offshore Wind Technologie GmbH, Leer on behalf of Multibrid.

Photos are attached at the bottom of this release. For original files, please contact Tove Strand Trana, Communication Manager, Aker Kvaerner Verdal. Tel: +47 7407 4509

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Bjørnar Skjevik, President, Aker Kvaerner Verdal. Telephone: (+47) 91 51 68 33
Åge Tårnes, Project Manager, Aker Kvaerner Verdal. Telephone: (+47) 90 14 74 94
Tove Strand Trana, Communication Manager, Aker Kvaerner Verdal. Tel: +47 7407 4509

Investor relations:
Lasse Torkildsen, Vice President, Investor Relations, Aker Kvaerner. Tel: +47 67 51 30 39

 

Suppliers:
Dag Joar Lund, Vice President Commercial. Telephone: (+47) 95 12 94 34

Career opportunities:
Visit http://www.akerkvaerner.com/Internet/CareerCentre

For further information about Multibrid Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, please contact:
Alexander Klemt, Telephone: (+49) 490 97 99 01 10 www.multibrid.de

 

AKER KVÆRNER ASA, through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Aker Kvaerner"), is a leading global provider of engineering and construction services, technology products and integrated solutions. The business within Aker Kvaerner comprises several industries, including Oil & Gas, Refining & Chemicals, Mining & Metals and Power Generation. The Aker Kvaerner group is organised in a number of separate legal entities. Aker Kvaerner is used as the common brand/trademark for most of these entities.

The parent company in the group is Aker Kværner ASA. Aker Kvaerner has aggregated annual revenues of approximately NOK 50 billion and employs approximately 23 000 people in about 30 countries.

Aker Kvaerner is part of Aker (www.akerasa.com), a group of premier companies with a focus on energy, maritime and marine-resources industries. The Aker companies share a common set of values and long traditions of industrial innovation. As an industrial owner with a 40.1 per cent holding in Aker Kvaerner, Aker ASA takes an active role in the development of its holdings.

Aker Kvaerner Verdal is within Aker Kvaerner responsible for engineering and building large steel constructions and steel substructures for the offshore oil industry. Since Aker Verdal was established in 1970, it has also delivered a wide range of floating and fixed installations to the oil industry in the North Sea. 10 Semi-submersible platforms, 33 steel jackets, and a large number of modules and decks, sub-sea templates, bridges, flare towers and a loading buoy is delivered.

This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see our web-pages www.akerkvaerner.com