Denmark’s parliament recently approved plans to build the nation’s largest offshore wind farm, which will be located in the North Sea’s Kattegat Strait between Jutland and Anholt Island. The wind farm is expected to be operational by 2012, and will be able to produce 400 megawatts of power. The Climate and Energy Ministry claims this amount of energy will provide the electricity needs for 400,000 homes a year.

Between 100 and 175 wind turbines will stand in the Kattegat Strait. Denmark currently has 5,267 wind turbines, 70 percent of which are situated in Jutland, according to statistics from the Wind Industry Association. In 2006, Denmark’s offshore wind farms provided 22 percent of the nation’s total wind energy production.

Jakob Lau Holst, the director of the Danish Wind Industry Association (DWIA), said the new offshore wind farm will further the country’s aim of reaching the European Commission’s goal to produce Read the full story

Danish Software Company manages the production of giant cranes for the offshore industry in Kristiansand (Norway), Singapore, China and Malaysia

Hans Tørsleff management systems has developed a solution that manages the production of giant cranes worldwide. The project started at Hydramarine which is located in Kristiansand, Norway and now the success continues in Singapore, where a similar solution is being implemented and after that the solution will be implemented in China and Malaysia.

Hans Tørsleff management systems has in cooperation with Columbus IT extended the financial solution Microsoft Dynamics AX, so that is also covers professional Project Management and can handle hundreds of projects and forecast the resources needed to produce all the projects.

Via barcode readers the actual hours spend on the different tasks are read back into the projects, making it possible for the project manager to keep close track of the progress on every project. Furthermore, management can get reports which show with what possibility the production is capable to deliver on time. Finally the solution solves the eternal challenge; “When can you start on a new project?” and “When can you deliver?”

The solution is unique and is an example of how you can utilize the web-service technology to link different applications providing the end-user with the best tool for the specific job.

Hans Tørsleff management systems started the development of the solution five years ago and has also experience from running upgrade programs (MLU etc.) on the Danish, Portuguese and American F16 fighter planes. The new order for Hans Tørsleff management system is until now the biggest order to the offshore sector.

The solution is financed by the world leading offshore supplier MacGregor, which have offices in more than 50 countries and produce and service offshore equipment in all parts of the world. Hans Tørsleff management systems considers this job as one of the company’s milestones in its more than 20 years long history and the company is looking forward to meeting the big demands the solution already has created.

http://www.torsleff.dk

Hans Tørsleff CEO, M.Sc.Eng
Hans Tørsleff management systems Gammel
Kongevej 161
1850 Frederiksberg C
Mobile (+45) 2276 6238
E-mail hans@torsleff.dk

An ongoing debate between local conservationists and the oil industry could become moot if UNESCO adds the scenic Lofoten islands to its list of World Heritage sites. Erik Solheim, Norway’s cabinet minister for environmental issues, was greeted with overwhelming opposition to plans for oil exploration and drilling in the area when he visited Lofoten recently.

A coalition of local mayors emphatically told Solheim that they were against any offshore drilling. Local environmental activists enthusiastically backed this position. Solheim himself was sceptical that the drilling would go through, but made it clear that the government has not made a formal decision yet.

Solheim added that if UNESCO were to add Lofoten to its list, any prospects of future oil drilling would be ruled out. Fishermen are concerned that oil exploration tests would drive the fish population away. Kjell Olav Halland from the Coastal Fishermen’s Union wants the Norwegian government to conduct more research into the effects of oil drilling on fisheries.

Oil companies are using experts to support their own position, and Halland would like to see the government put in an equal effort to provide a fair, objective evaluation. He made the point that the oil industry will only be in business for a few decades, but fishing in the Lofoten islands has been a local tradition for more than 1,000 years.

Isle of Man based Bradford & Bingley International (BBI) has this week launched an online savings account that pays up to 6.50% p.a.

The eAccess2 account, which replaces an existing range of online savings accounts, is available with a choice of annual, monthly or deferred interest options and offers an unlimited number of penalty free withdrawals.

BBI is an offshore savings bank which specialises in providing a range of savings accounts to the international and expatriate communities, as well as residents of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

The account is expected to appeal to British expatriates working abroad and to retired expatriates looking to receive a regular income from their savings. The account boasts a competitive annual or deferred interest rate of 6.50% and monthly interest rate of 6.30% (6.49% AER).

BBI offers a range of online savings account that allow customers to manage their savings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere in the world. Customers are able to make transactions to and from their savings accounts, view statements and amend account details at any time of day.

The eAccess2 savings account can be opened with deposits of £1,000 or more and is only available by application online.

Visit www.bbi.co.im for more information on Bradford & Bingley International’s offshore savings accounts.

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