Logistics industry players gather in Munich

In May, the representatives of Port of Kokkola visited the world’s leading Transport Logistic trade fair event in Munich, Germany, which focused on logistics, information technology and supply chain management. The fair attracted more than 75,000 visitors from more than 120 countries. There were approximately 2,300 exhibitors from a total of 67 countries.

– At the fair, we were able to meet our international customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders. All in all, the event offered an excellent opportunity to exchange news on current events. So far, Port of Kokkola has not had its own stand at the fair, which is organised every two years, but we decided that it would be good for us to participate in the event, for example, in the Finland stand, together with other industry players, says Port of Kokkola’s Marketing Secretary Alexandra Haapala.The next event will be held in June 2025.

Offshore wind power production is increasing worldwide. Operating in ten market areas, OX2 has three offshore wind power projects in Finland in the project development phase in the in the Finnish economic zone of Gulf of Bothnia.

Offshore wind power accelerates the production of renewable energy and increases the energy self-sufficiency of states. The fresh report on the regional economic effects of offshore wind power published by the Wind Energy Association shows that, at best, offshore wind power also has very significant employment and tax effects.

In the spring of 2023, the total capacity of the planned offshore wind power projects in Finland was approximately 33 GW, and the projects are estimated to be realized by 2045. According to this, the projects’ lifetime employment effects on Finland could be up to 224,000 person-years, and the tax effects could be 4.5 billion euros.

Achieving the full potential related to offshore wind power projects, however, requires increasing the degree of domesticity of the projects. According to the report, investments in the value chain of offshore wind power construction, such as port infrastructure, pay off in terms of employment and tax effects.

– As the report published by the Wind Energy Association shows, the employment effect of offshore wind power is really significant from a societal point of view, in addition to which offshore wind power curbs climate change and increases domestic renewable energy production. That’s why we at OX2 work hard and do this work with passion, says Janne Lamberg, the company’s offshore wind business director.

OX2 has about 20 years of experience in renewables energy. The company focuses on wind and solar power, and it also develops solutions related to energy storage. Although the construction of offshore wind power is still quite new in Finland, Lamberg emphasizes that OX2 is already an experienced player in offshore wind.

– In onshore wind power, we have grown into Europe’s largest project developer. Since we have a lot of strategic tools in onshore wind power that are consistent with offshore wind, the company’s decision five years ago to also get involved in offshore wind was a natural continuation of the work done on wind power, he says.

According to Lamberg, the company is not starting from scratch in Finland, because OX2, as an international organization, has a lot of German, Polish, Danish and Swedish offshore wind expertise, which is now being utilized in Finnish projects.

The production costs of onshore wind power have decreased rapidly in recent years thanks to technological developments. Janne Lamberg believes that a similar development will be seen in offshore wind power, although ice conditions, for example, pose their own challenges to construction.

– In Sweden, the government wants to be strongly involved in the green transition and offshore wind power. We hope the same from Finland’s new government. Instead of seeking income from offshore wind power through taxation, the benefits of offshore wind power to society will hopefully rather be seen through how much offshore wind power attracts other investments and strengthens the regional economy, Lamberg states.