Arcadis Ost 1 officially inaugurated in Berlin following unique installation process

BERLIN, December 5, 2023: Parkwind celebrated the inauguration of its 250MW Arcadis Ost 1 wind farm in Germany with a ceremony in Berlin, attended by representatives from the Belgian and German governments at which all parties highlighted their confidence in offshore wind as a key element of the energy transition.

Parkwind and its partners recently completed the installation of the last of 27 turbines at Arcadis Ost 1 in the German Baltic Sea, achieving a world first with the completion of an offshore wind farm installation without the use of jack-up vessels. By using self-propelled floating cranes and the world’s latest and largest installation vessels the ships were able to maintain their floating position without the use of tugs or anchors.

Parkwind and its partners were joined at the inauguration – virtually and in person – by key politicians from both countries who stressed the importance of cooperation between Belgium and Germany in this and other energy transition projects.

The Belgian Prime Minister Alexander Decroo, Belgian Minister of Energy Tinne Van der Straeten, the German Parliamentary State Secretary Michael Kellner from the Federal Ministry of Economy and Climate Action and the German Minister Christian Pegel from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania highlighted the importance of the Belgian-German collaboration on this challenging project.

A panel discussion between high-level representatives from Parkwind and partners Heerema, Vestas, DEME and 50 Hertz further enriched the event, providing a platform for industry leaders to share their perspectives on the challenges, achievements, and opportunities in the wind energy sector.

"The wind industry is not just about technology; it's it is about collaboration and shared responsibility," said Eric Antoons and François Van Leeuw, co-CEO’s of Parkwind. "This project represents a collaborative effort to drive positive change and transition towards cleaner, more sustainable energy sources."

The 200 attendees were transported to the German waters where the turbines are located, by means of a virtual reality movie, to experience the challenging soil and weather conditions.

The event concluded with a ceremonial push-the-button moment and a walking dinner, fostering networking opportunities and strengthening the bonds between professionals committed to steering the world towards a greener future.

About Arcadis Ost 1

Arcadis Ost 1 is a 257 MW offshore wind farm developed in the German territorial waters of the Baltic Sea, northeast of the island of Rügen. Arcadis Ost 1 has been developed by Parkwind with the participation of PMV and OstseeWindEnergie GmbH, a project company consisting of three partners, Oberhessische Versorgungsbetriebe AG, Stadtwerke Bad Vilbel and WV Energie AG. The wind farm will begin operations in 2023 and supply enough green energy to power the equivalent of 290,000 households.

About Parkwind

Parkwind is an integrated offshore wind business that develops, finances and operates offshore wind farms. Since July 2023, Parkwind has been operating as part of JERA Co., Inc. one of the largest power generational companies in the world. Together, Parkwind and JERA have more than a decade of experience and over 1,500 MW of offshore wind assets under operational management and construction in Belgium and Germany, the UK, Taiwan and Japan, in addition to an extensive pipeline of offshore wind projects in development around the world including in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the UK, Norway, Greece, and Australia/New Zealand.

Committed to making green energy available and affordable for everyone through its unique approach of covering the entire value chain of offshore wind, Parkwind has established itself as a reliable and competitive partner to communities, governments and suppliers globally.

For Parkwind media inquiries please contact: communication@parkwind.eu

For JERA Co., Inc please contact: ben.hunt_communications@jeragreen.com

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Maarten van der Horst

Head of Projects

Maarten joined Parkwind and more specifically the Oriel project team in early 2021. He brings 17 years of experience in the energy industry having worked at Engie's renewables arm first as an engineer, later as offshore specialist.

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Wim Verrept

IT Services Manager

He joined Parkwind in 2016 as risk manager, during the installation phase of Nobelwind. Since then his responsibilities have expanded to include IT and the QHSSE department. Before joining the company, he worked as a risk manager at large financial institution in Belgium.

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Ingrid Dony

HR Manager

Ingrid joined Parkwind in 2013 and manages the Human Resources department. Her expertise in corporate HR has created the foundations in Parkwind’s evolving and rapidly growing employee and consultant base. Her team manages everything from payroll to employee development and communications. She has been instrumental in preparing the organization for international expansion and the digitalization of numerous HR legal and administrative tools.

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Dirk Dewettinck

Head of R&D

At Parkwind since 2015 he manages the engineering resources involved in project development, design and construction. He was closely involved in the technical management of the Nobelwind and Northwester 2 projects. Prior to joining Parkwind, he was involved in other offshore wind projects, working for a major wind turbine supplier, and prior to that he worked for more than 15 years with major engineering contractors in projects around the world, mainly in the conventional power generation construction and services (steam, gas, nuclear).

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Clément Helbig de Balzac

Project Director Arcadis Ost 1

Joining Parkwind in 2011 as a project finance specialist and he was heavily involved in the financing and construction of Northwind and Nobelwind. Thereafter, as project finance manager, he led the financing process of Northwester 2 and the refinancing of three operational offshore wind farms of the Parkwind portfolio. He is also involved in business development projects for his expertise lies in financing processes, construction contract negotiation, contracting strategy and development and construction management.

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Edward Van Melkebeek

Head of Technology

Since joining Parkwind in 2018, he has been leading the Technology team responsible for leveraging Parkwind’s know-how in civil, electrical and WTG packages to development of new projects. The team also performs a supply chain role, managing technical aspects of project contracts. Previously, he has built extensive practical and managerial experience in the offshore construction business for over 22 years at a global leading dredging and offshore contractor strongly active in the offshore wind industry.

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Mathias Van Steenwinkel

Business Development Manager

He joined Parkwind in 2012 working on financial modelling, PPA negotiations and the overall financial close processes. Since 2016, he is heading the growing business development department playing a key role in the identification of new projects, global partnerships and tender preparations.

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Kristof Verlinden

O&M Manager

With Parkwind since 2010, he is responsible for the asset management and production management of all of Parkwind’s offshore operational assets. The O&M organization plays a pivotal role in project development incorporating strategic insight to ensure frictionless O&M operations from the moment of first production. The team also supplies external support services, is involved in numerous R&D initiatives with universities and wind farm performance analysis using state of the art data systems. Kristof joined Parkwind with an engineering background in international service support business and wind turbine driveline design validation.

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Pieter Marinus

General Counsel and Investment Relations Director

As a former Parkwind board member, he has been involved in the financial close and follow-up of every Parkwind project as well as in their acquisition and divestment processes. Prior to joining Parkwind’s management in 2017, he was also in charge of multiple other renewable energy investments and financings around Europe, notably as Investment Director at Korys.

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Peter Caluwaerts

Head of Engagement Management

After years of building extensive experience in large construction works, he started his career in offshore wind in 2010 by taking up the role of CLO of Parkwind, responsible for regulatory, legal and contracting matters for Belwind and Northwind windfarms. Since then, as Project Director, he’s led the Northwester 2 project completed in 2020 and is now responsible for Parkwind’s Irish projects Oriel and Clogherhead. He plays an instrumental role in organizing Parkwind’s international expansion and growth.

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Eric Antoons

co-CEO

Before joining the company in 2013, he worked for one of the largest power and gas suppliers in Belgium, in both operational and executive functions. Joining Parkwind in 2013 as COO, he supervised the construction of three wind farm projects and the considerable growth of O&M activities. Since becoming co-CEO in 2016, he has also developed Parkwind’s R&D activities to the forefront partnering with universities and several technology start-ups.

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François Van Leeuw

co-CEO

He joined Parkwind as CFO in 2009 and has been leading the financing and development of Parkwind's first wind farms. In his role he’s particularly involved in new business and partnership development for Parkwind globally. He is also serving as the chairman of the Belgian Offshore Platform, the non-profit association of investors and owners of Belgian wind farms.

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Paul Tummers

CFO

Arriving to Parkwind in 2019, after a broad career in energy and infrastructure, he has taken a leading role in Parkwind’s international expansion from both corporate finance and organizational restructuring.