Holcim has taken a minority equity ownership in BW Ideol, a pioneer in floating offshore wind technology, to scale up the construction of clean energy infrastructure.
The two companies will form a strategic partnership for the supply of innovative materials to two fabrication lines for floating foundations, developed by BW Ideol in Southern France and Northeast Scotland.
BW Ideol has 15 years’ experience of design, engineering and fabrication of offshore floating wind foundations, and has equity ownerships in two floating wind projects: one off Scotland’s Northeast coast with a capacity of 960 MW, and one off France’s Southern coast with a capacity of 270 MW.
Dragan Maksimovic, Region Head West Europe, Holcim: 'We are delighted to be able to scale up BW Ideol’s best-in-class innovative designs and engineering of floating foundations for offshore wind, a key part of the energy transition. Holcim’s patented lightweight structural low-carbon concrete is ideal for offshore wind projects, and our partnership entails a local-for-local approach, benefiting local economies.'
Paul de la Guérivière, CEO of BW Ideol: 'We are thrilled to welcome Holcim as a strategic shareholder. This investment sends a powerful message to the floating offshore wind industry, confirming the maturity and deliverability of concrete foundation solutions. With Holcim by our side, we’re making significant strides in our large-scale, concrete serial fabrication strategy. We are confident that this is the most effective way to achieve competitive costs and, ultimately, unlock the full potential of floating wind as an affordable, decarbonized renewable energy source.'
The investment to scale clean energy infrastructure is aligned with Holcim’s NextGen Growth 2030 strategy, in which sustainability is a driver of profitable growth. Holcim has previously supplied onshore wind foundations across Australia, Croatia, Denmark, Poland, Spain and the UK, as well as offshore wind foundations off France’s northern coastline.
Source: BW Ideol
