Kvaerner has established an engineering office in Trondheim. The establishment will increase Kvaerner's capacity and competence to meet the future activities, and it is part of the company's jacket strategy in the oil and gas industry.
Being close to the technology and research communities in the city, as well as the yard in Verdal, make Trondheim an attractive location for establishment and expansion.
Trondheim is often referred to as the "technology capital." NTNU and Sintef hold much of the credit for this. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology educates around 80 percent of all engineers in Norway.
"The market prospects are good, and the Verdal yard has for the past years invested in increased capacity. By establishing this office in Trondheim, we aim to increase our capacity for studies, FEEDs and EPC contracts for large, complex jackets", said Jan Arve Haugan, President & CEO in Kvaerner.
Stein Are Ystmark is appointed Managing Director for the new company. He comes from a head of department position in Aker Solutions. Mr. Ystmark is an educated engineer from HIST/NTNU in 1999 and has additional education within management. Ystmark has a background as engineer in the Bergen Group - Fosen, and technical manager and subsequently general manager at Selfa Arctic AS.
The work obtaining suitable offices in Trondheim is in progress with the aim of being operative in Trondheim from July 2012. The plan is to build up a capacity of about 15 people during 2012. The recruitment of key personnel starts immediately.
The new company will be named Kværner Jacket Technology Trondheim AS, and will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kværner Verdal AS.
The Kvaerner yard in Verdal is one of few yards in Europe specialized in building jackets. The present contract portfolio includes six jackets for oil companies in Norway and the UK, as well as 49 smaller jackets for offshore wind in Germany.