“France will establish itself as an offshore market”

EEHH: Ms Kress, you are in charge of operations at SeaRenergy. Can you tell us more about your work and SeaRenergy’s company profile? Natalia Kress/CCO SeaRenergy

Natalia Kress: “As a member of the C-level board in the CCO role, I am responsible for Revenue Assurance. My focus is on ensuring and optimising all revenue-relevant processes as well as developing and implementing strategic measures to secure sustainable revenues. Together with the Commercial Management and Tender Management departments, we create the conditions for sustainable revenue growth and ensure that commercial opportunities are consistently exploited.

EEHH: How have the requirements for operation, maintenance and maritime logistics developed for offshore wind farms?

Natalia Kress: “The requirements for the operation, maintenance and maritime logistics of offshore wind farms have evolved significantly in recent years. In addition to the technological challenges, increasing geopolitical uncertainty also plays a vital role. Global developments have led to greater fluctuations and uncertainties in supply chains and in the availability of resources. As a result, early and forward-looking planning of the resources required for operation and maintenance (O&M) is becoming increasingly important. These days, much greater attention is paid to securing capacities, services and necessary materials in the long term to be able to guarantee high plant availability.

At the same time, cost pressure is rising. Consequently, the industry is increasingly seeking synergies – for example, through optimised processes, closer collaboration along the value chain, and more efficient use of existing resources. The goal is to further increase the operational reliability and availability of offshore wind farms while sustainably optimising costs.”

EEHH: Grid connection is one of the central bottlenecks for the expansion of offshore wind energy in Germany. How do you assess the current policy framework and what have been your own experiences?

Natalia Kress: “Grid connection is undoubtedly one of the pivotal factors for the continued expansion of offshore wind energy in Germany. We can see that the significance of this issue has now resonated across all market participants and that intensive efforts are being made to address existing challenges and drive solutions forward. In my view, even more efficient collaboration between all participating bodies and institutions is a key lever for accelerating processes and better leveraging existing potential. The state has an essential role to play here as an enabler and accelerator – especially in establishing reliable regulatory frameworks, coordinating stakeholders and supporting the rapid implementation of critical infrastructure measures. Moving forward, it will be crucial to co-develop solutions that create planning certainty and support the expansion of offshore wind energy in the long term.”

EEHH: This year you visited “Seanergy” – the offshore wind trade fair in France. What role does your company want to play in the French energy transition in the long term?

Natalia Kress: “For us, France is a strategically important market with great potential. A key advantage of our group of companies is that we cover the entire life cycle of an offshore wind farm – from planning and construction to operation and maintenance. This enables us to offer our customers a broad and integrated range of services from a single source. We are already active in France and have played a central role in the construction phase of two offshore wind projects. We would like to build on this experience and further expand our presence. In the coming years, particular focus will be on Operations & Maintenance. Together with French partners, we would like to further strengthen our expertise and make a long-term contribution to a reliable, efficient and sustainable energy infrastructure in France.”

EEHH: And what are the biggest differences between the expansion of offshore wind energy in France and Germany? And how do you see the French offshore wind market in 2030?

Natalia Kress: “Generally speaking, both markets are facing similar challenges. The geopolitical situation, volatile supply chains, rising costs and increasing competition for resources are impacting the development of offshore wind energy throughout Europe. These framework conditions make forward-looking planning and close collaboration between all stakeholders more important than ever. In my view, France is sending a positive signal to the market with the announced tenders and thus creating crucial prospects for investments and further expansion. At the same time, the country is pursuing a technology-neutral approach by promoting both bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind farms. This diversification strengthens the resilience of the market and opens up additional development opportunities. Looking ahead to 2030, I am certain that France will establish itself as one of Europe’s most important offshore wind markets. Decisive in this regard will be that France consistently continues on the course it has taken, expands the infrastructure at the same time and further intensifies collaboration between industry, grid operators and policy decision-makers.”

Thank you very much for the insightful interview!