Oslo, 26. March 2021 - The renewable energy company Vårgrønn, a joint venture of Eni and HitecVision, has hired Equinor's Head of US wind and DNV's director of renewable energy in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
There has been great interest in the positions. The recruitment of Christer Af Geijerstam as Senior Vice President Offshore Wind and Erik Dugstad as Senior Vice President Public Affairs and Market Analysis will give us even greater momentum going forward. They will be key in delivering on Vårgrønn’s ambition of reaching an installed capacity of 1 gigawatt renewable energy by 2030, says Olav Hetland, CEO of Vårgrønn.
Geijerstam and Dugstad will be part of the top management in Vårgrønn together with Hetland. Their international experience and expertise within the energy and offshore industry will help strengthen Vårgrønn's priorities and focus areas, particularly within offshore wind.
Vårgrønn is a unique opportunity where I will be able to use my expertise and experience to help build a new and exciting company. I have first-hand experience of how fast things are developing in offshore wind and look forward to starting in Vårgrønn. As a first step, I am excited to help Vårgrønn position itself and help developing a Norwegian domestic market for offshore wind, says Christer Af Geijerstam, who will start work no later than 1 July.
With more than twenty years of experience from StatoilHydro, the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and most recently DNV, Dugstad will strengthen the company's work towards the authorities and market opportunities.
I will bring my expertise in the power market and an understanding of the diverse range of actors for Vårgrønn to succeed in a rapidly developing renewable energy industry. About ten years ago, while working on the pilot for Hywind, I encouraged the authorities to invest in the development of a Norwegian offshore wind industry. Ensuring favorable framework conditions and good collaboration between the actors and authorities are crucial for further developing Norway as a leading energy nation, says Erik Dugstad, who has his first working day on 1 May.
Company contacts:
Olav Hetland
CEO, Vårgrønn
olav.hetland@vargronn.no
+47 99 70 72 98
Erik Dugstad
+47 40 84 16 62
Christer Af Geijerstam
+47 40 23 93 13
About Vårgrønn:
Vårgrønn is a joint venture between the global energy company Eni and the Norwegian energy entrepreneur and investor HitecVision. The company has plans to reach an installed capacity of 1 GW – which indicates investments up to 2 billion NOK per year over a longer period in the renewable sector in the Nordics. Both companies have a long history in the energy sector and are strongly committed to contributing to the energy transition. Vårgrønn, is built on the same platform as Vår Energi, one of the largest and fastest growing oil and gas producers on the Norwegian continental shelf. Like Vår Energi, the company will take advantage of the strengths of the global energy giant Eni combined with HitecVision’s local knowledge, financial expertise, and entrepreneurial culture and drive.
