DNV acquires GEC to achieve global wind leadership
22 July 2008
By joining forces, DNV and Global Energy Concepts (GEC) will provide expanded services, capabilities and international reach by bringing together European and North American expertise in wind energy.
DNV Energy’s COO, Remi Eriksen, explained: “DNV’s 20 wind experts are now joining forces with GEC and its close to 100 employees. This is a big step forward, as we aim to rapidly build a powerful and dynamic professional services environment. With GEC on board, DNV will thus be the wind world’s leading service provider.”
The global wind energy market is growing annually by 20%. The US is the fastest growing wind market and wind contributes more than 30% of its new generation capacity. This makes wind the second-largest source of new power generation in the country – surpassed only by natural gas. The US Department of Energy has recently announced an ambition to have 20% wind-generated electricity by 2030.
Eriksen continued: “The energy future will be dirty, uncertain and expensive unless hydrocarbon-based energy is made cleaner and renewable energy starts to play a bigger role. No single solution will deliver the necessary changes. Therefore, we need a mix of options, which focus on developing more energy sources, using energy more efficiently and lowering carbon intensity. DNV is committed to making a difference in the energy future, and strongly believes that wind energy will be an important factor in improving the security of supply and fighting climate change.”
The wind energy industry is growing fast and has to deal with numerous uncertainties. “We want to help key players in this industry to drive new solutions and to manage the risks that come with these,” Eriksen emphasised.
“DNV is confident of the viability and commercial maturity of wind as a major contributor to the world’s energy needs. We therefore see the need to have a strong professional environment within the wind market so that we can make an impact. The global wind industry is gearing up for rapid growth and we are now at the forefront to capitalise on this,” said Eriksen.
GEC’s founder, Karen Conover, said: “Initially, we were not looking to be acquired, but the more we learned about DNV, the more we realised that it was a good match. Together we can provide a broader portfolio than we could do on our own. In addition, the acquisition provides a broader international reach, access to R&D resources, the ability to bring together European and US expertise in wind energy, and greater career opportunities for our employees.”
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