Working on Norway’s first major offshore wind project: Jorne

We spoke with Jorne, Project Manager on our Sørlige Nordsjø II (SNII) Offshore Windfarm, about how growing up by the Belgian coast inspired a career building offshore wind farms and how he’s now putting that experience into developing the first major offshore wind project on the Norwegian continental shelf.

Jorne, can you start by introducing yourself?

My current role is Project Manager, guiding the SNII project together with my colleague Wim, supported by a highly skilled project team. The SNII project is a 1.5GW offshore wind farm, which we’re currently developing 200 km off the Norwegian coast. The project is being developed by Ventyr, a consortium between Parkwind, a wholly owned subsidiary of JERA Nex, and Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer. I have always been interested in understanding exactly how things work and come together in various systems and processes. I studied Civil Construction Engineering with a focus on Marine and Offshore for my Master’s degree before joining the offshore wind industry as a foundation and WTG installation engineer.

What sparked your interest in offshore wind?

I grew up in in Ostend, a town at the Belgian coast, which is where I still live and work today. During my studies, I worked as a lifeguard, and that combined with the constant proximity to the sea growing up is what led me to be interested in marine and offshore as a discipline of engineering. In terms of offshore wind itself, like many in my generation, I wanted to contribute to the energy transition. Today, I take great pride in walking along the coast with my children while pointing to the turbines I helped to install.

Can you describe your career at Parkwind so far?

Being at Parkwind for more than 10 years now, I was initially hired as a member of the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) Team. I was involved in the development and installation of the Northwind project, which was Parkwind’s second offshore wind farm located 37 km from shore in the Belgian North Sea and now powers approximately 200,000 households. I then progressed to becoming a design engineer, and then a sideways step into operational management. Then from February last year I joined the Parkwind Projects department and have been working on the SNII project, first on the auction bid, and then since we were awarded the project in April this year, in developing the project itself.

What makes the SNII project so significant?

It’s the biggest offshore wind farm development we’ve undertaken both as Parkwind and the larger JERA Group, and now as JERA Nex, it’s really the first landmark offshore wind project we’re developing as a newly launched company. At 1.5GW, it’s a significant project for our growth and will make a tangible impact on our ambition to reach 20GW capacity by 2035.

It’s also significant for Norway and the region, there’s a lot of technical expertise that will be developed on the project that can be applied to the wider industry and its development. We’re aiming to install 1500MW, equivalent to 7-8 TWh of green electricity annually – which is enough to power 500,000 Norwegian households, so there’ll be a tangible impact on the country’s clean energy ambitions.

What’s exciting about working on it?

Working on SNII gives you the opportunity to be a true pioneer, and there’s the opportunity to build something that can have a positive impact on the energy transition. There are several barriers to be overcome too, which make it an interesting challenge. The problem-solving approach is exciting, for example, the sea where we will build the project is very deep – around 60m. There are people who say we can’t do it, but I know we can.

Overcoming these challenges is what I like about working in offshore wind. There are also special practical conditions to offshore wind projects that don’t exist when it comes to onshore projects. With onshore wind, the site is more easily accessible compared to offshore. In the case of Norway, offshore workers have to sail for half a day or longer, in potentially harsh conditions to even reach the site.

What’s exciting about the launch of JERA Nex?

The launch of JERA Nex gives us more opportunity to grow and develop bigger, more ambitious projects like SNII. JERA Nex brings us more financial resilience, global reach and new expertise. In the bid for SNII, Parkwind being backed by JERA was an important part of our success. More widely, it broadens out our experience beyond offshore wind. While Parkwind is an offshore wind pioneer, JERA Nex will have a wider portfolio including onshore wind, solar and battery storage. Scaling up the whole renewables industry is important for driving the energy transition and having an impact on climate change, so it’s positive that we are developing more and bigger projects across renewables.

Why should people work for JERA Nex/Parkwind?

It’s a community. Everyone working at Parkwind and JERA Nex has a passion and wants to make a change. It’s possible to do great things here.

Find out more about careers at JERA Nex and Parkwind here.