Skykon eyes historic shipyard for wind production

A Denmark shipyard that’s slated for closure could be getting a green facelift.

Copenhagen, Denmark-based shipping and energy group A.P. Moller-Maersk said last week it’s planning to close its historic Odense Steel Shipyard at Lindo Wharf on Funen, after orders are fulfilled in 2012. The company said the shipyard, constructed from 1918-1919, had been running up considerable, unspecified annual deficits.

But Arhus, Denmark-based wind energy investor Skykon appears to already be in negotiations to acquire some of the shipyard's acreage for its wind turbine production, according to reports today.

Skykon's interest in starting up a plant at the site would be contingent upon receiving an undisclosed amount of state financial support. A business minister indicated that some of a DKK 5 billion ($685 million) pool could be allocated to Skykon. 

The shipyard, better known as Lindo, employees more than 2,500 people, and reductions of about 175 employees are expected to start this month. 

Some of the Lindo employees could be picked up by Skykon, a parent company with a portfolio that includes some of the leading suppliers to the wind turbine industry. Its portfolio includes Welcon, Dencam, Marxen, WKT Nordic and WTowers.

A.P. Moller-Maersk also plans to sell its Lithuanian shipyard, Baltija Shipyard, and Lithuanian engineering company, UAB Baltic Engineering Centre.

This wouldn't be a first for Skykon receiving government assistance. In March, Skykon said it was taking over the troubled Vestas Wind Systems wind turbine towers factory in Kintyre, Scotland, with plans to expand the plant over the next two years. The deal included help through a £9.7 million ($15.8 million) government funding package.

Vestas has faced problems because of excess production capacity in Northern Europe (see Vestas raises $1B, SunPower $400M in new share offerings and Workers cut at blade factory).

In March, A.P. Moller-Maersk also said it was investigating whether sea vessels could transport greenhouse gases for underwater storage more efficiently and more cheaply than pipes (see Ships, not pipes, for CO2 ocean burial). Scientists are seeking ways to quantify the underground storage capacity for carbon sequestered from power plants (see MIT unlocking carbon capture and storage).