The World Ocean Council (WOC) has joined the recently launched World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO) as its newest member.
WOC brings together industries such as shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, renewable energy (wind, wave, tidal), ports, dredging, cables, as well as the maritime legal, financial and insurance communities, and others to address ocean sustainable development, science, and stewardship.
WFO is dedicated to fostering and promoting the global growth of offshore wind. The non-profit organization was founded by DEME, E.ON Climate & Renewables, innogy, Green Giraffe, Northland Power, Suzlon Energy, EEW Special Pipe Constructions, Marsh, Watson Farley & Williams, as well as the US Business Network for Offshore Wind.
WFO and WOC have agreed on reciprocal memberships and will foster the exchange between the offshore wind industry and the wider ocean business community.
“The offshore wind industry is becoming an ever more important stakeholder in the ocean community. Joining WFO, the global body for offshore wind energy, we are excited to facilitate the integration of offshore wind energy into the global ocean economy,” said Paul Holthus , Founding President and CEO, World Ocean Council.
In order to remove offshore wind growth barriers, it is of paramount importance to foster the exchange and collaboration between the offshore wind industry and other ocean industries such as fisheries, shipping, oil and gas, aquaculture and tourism, WFO said.
Gunnar Herzig , Managing Director, WFO, said: “Welcoming the World Ocean Council as a member of WFO is a major step forward for our organization. Given that offshore wind is placed at the intersection of the energy industry and the other ocean industries, the agreement with the WOC enables us to comprehensively engage with the global ocean business community for the benefit of the offshore wind industry.”
Back in March, WFO issued a mission statement calling for the development of additional 500GW of offshore wind capacity globally by 2050.