Ocean Energy Europe welcomes industry titan SKF as a Lead Partner
20.03.2024
SKF, leading global supplier of solutions for rotating equipment is stepping up their support of the ocean energy industry body by taking up a seat on the Board of Directors as Lead Partner. Michael Baumann, Global Application Account Manager Ocean Energy will represent SKF on the board.
Founded in 1907, SKF’s mission is to be the undisputed leader in the bearing business. The company offers solutions around the rotating shaft, including bearings, seals, lubrication, condition monitoring and maintenance services. SKF products and solutions are critical in enabling the transition towards a carbon free economy. Serving customers in over 40 industries, SKF is a key enabling partner to many of the mature and emerging clean-tech sectors and as such has brought innovative solutions to many ocean energy devices and projects for over a decade, taking part in many flagship ocean energy projects.
SKF has been an important partner in EU-funded projects such as FloTEC, TIPA, TOPFLOTE, TAOIDE, EnFAIT, FORWARD 2030 or the recently launched SEASTAR project. All projects have been focussing with its individual tasks and targets to bring tidal closer to commercial readiness and the latest projects will finally accelerate commercial deployments and kick-start mass manufacturing of tidal turbines.
Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe is delighted to add SKF as a Lead Partner: “SKF is a titan of industry. They have been and continue to be part of many of the ocean energy’s most advanced projects, all the while fostering innovation. It is a great step for the sector to welcome our first supply-chain actor to the Board of Directors. It shows that ocean energy is now clearly identified as a new “client” sector for EU companies, just like offshore wind. I look forward to working with Michael Baumann and the SKF team to bring ocean energy to market.”
Michael Baumann, emphasizes the importance of cooperation among the members of Ocean Energy Europe: “OEE is the largest global network of ocean energy professionals in the world and is pivotal to continuously put ocean energy on the European agenda. It’s unwavering efforts to promote ocean energy is key to connecting the right stakeholders in a still emerging industry to ensure commercial deployment finally happens. We are proud to be involved from early on.”