Yesterday the Offshore Wind Innovation Center (OWIC) started in Eemshaven. The center facilitates the development of activities and innovations in the field of offshore wind energy, with a focus on service and maintenance.
The OWIC is an information, training and innovation center aimed at companies and knowledge institutions that are engaged in the generation of offshore wind. 19 parties (including the business community, knowledge institutions and governments) have united in OWIC. Together they want to ensure that companies can innovate and develop in offshore wind energy more easily and faster.
By expanding the innovative capacity in the region, OWIC wants to further increase and utilize the opportunities for businesses, knowledge institutions and governments that will rise from the construction and maintenance of potential future wind farms above the Wadden Islands. The focus is on service and maintenance of the wind farms. Especially the service and maintenance would offer great economic opportunities for (new) business, knowledge sharing and innovations.
In addition to facilitating information and networking opportunities, OWIC will also set up facilities for training and education in the field of offshore wind energy. OWIC will initially focus on a physical location in Nijlicht in the Eemshaven. Nijlicht is already a meeting place for start-up companies in the field of offshore wind energy (MOI Offshore Energy). From this location, OWIC will give further shape and content to the counter in the coming period and will make its presence widely known to national and European businesses.
Eemshaven’s role in offshore wind
From Eemshaven, the maintenance of 316 wind turbines is provided, spread over 4 offshore wind farms.. This is also where the electricity from the 600 MW Gemini Wind Farm comes ashore and possibly the electricity for future wind farms.
Due to its strategic location, the entire supply chain, a take-off and landing site for helicopters and the potential of many more planned wind turbines in the North Sea, it is expected that Eemshaven will further strengthen its strong position as a base and service port. Source: Groningen Seaports
