Offshore Wind Leaders: Margunn Bjørnestad, CEO, Wergeland Group

In this episode of PowerPod Presents: Offshore Wind Leaders, Ivar Slengesol speaks with Wergeland Group CEO Margun Bjørnestad about the company’s growth in offshore wind and what the industry needs to reach commercial scale. Drawing on projects including Hywind Tampen, Hywind Scotland and Kincardine, Bjørnestad emphasizes that offshore wind must move from one-off projects toward standardization, serial production and industrialized assembly to reduce costs. Norway’s offshore experience and infrastructure provide a strong foundation, but the industry must avoid importing unnecessary complexity and high costs from oil and gas.

A central theme is the need for predictability and a credible project pipeline. Bjørnestad argues that Norway needs real projects, not more ambitions and studies, to retain expertise, develop its supply chain, and compete internationally. Looking toward 2035, success would mean floating wind operating commercially at scale, significantly lower costs, Norwegian suppliers winning international contracts, and a new generation choosing careers in the industry.