From North Sea oil fields to offshore wind farms: 25 years of offshore expertise

Primo will join the industry at WindEnergy Hamburg 2026 as part of the Danish Pavilion, bringing decades of experience in plastic profile solutions for offshore applications

What many may not realize is that Primo's offshore journey began long before offshore wind became a global growth market.

For more than two decades, Primo has supplied specialised profile solutions for some of the world's leading cable and offshore companies. Along the way, the business has evolved from supporting oil and gas projects in the North Sea to contributing to power transmission networks and offshore wind developments around the world.

Building a specialist business

According to Sales Manager Bjørn Hågan, the foundations were laid in the early 2000s when Primo secured its first project related to the Snow white oil and gas field in northern Norway. At the time, the offshore business was still relatively small, but opportunities emerged through collaboration with major cable manufacturers, including what was then Alcatel, today part of Nexans.

The challenge was not simply to manufacture plastic profiles. Offshore applications demanded entirely new ways of thinking.

Primo's experience until then was largely based on extruded profile solutions produced in fixed lengths. Offshore customers, however, required profiles for cable constructions wound on reels and used in complex subsea installations. This demanded new production methods, tighter tolerances and a much deeper understanding of the requirements governing offshore projects.

The learning curve was steep, but it became the foundation of a business that continues to grow today.

Reliability is key in supplying the energy and offshore industry

Whether the application is an oil and gas field, an offshore wind farm or a subsea power transmission link, reliability is essential. Components must withstand harsh environments, operate over long service lives and meet stringent quality requirements. Documentation, traceability and certification are not optional extras; they are fundamental requirements.

These expectations helped shape Primo Offshore from the beginning.

As Bjørn explains, one of the company's strengths was its ability to combine technical expertise with flexibility and production capacity. Meeting the expectations of global offshore companies required continuous improvement in both manufacturing processes and documentation systems. Over time, this expertise became an important competitive advantage.

Today, Primo supplies profile solutions to several internationally recognized players within offshore cables and energy infrastructure, including One Subsea, Nexans, NKT, Prysmian, JDR Cables, Oceaneering, Sumitomo and TechnipFMC.

Energy infrastructure is evolving

The offshore energy sector has changed significantly over the past twenty years. New investments in offshore wind, electrification, transmission networks and subsea infrastructure are reshaping parts of the market, while oil and gas continue to play an important role in the global energy landscape. At the same time, geopolitical developments, supply chain constraints and changing project economics are creating new challenges for developers, operators and suppliers alike. Global energy investment remains strong, but the market is increasingly influenced by energy security, industrial competitiveness and the growing demand for reliable electricity infrastructure.

For suppliers, this means that offshore experience is becoming more valuable, not less. Whether the application is offshore wind, subsea power transmission, interconnectors or oil and gas developments, the requirements are remarkably similar: reliable infrastructure, robust cable systems, thorough documentation and the ability to deliver to demanding project schedules. The technologies may differ, but the expectations around quality, traceability and performance remain the same.

In many ways, today's energy investments are building upon capabilities that have been developed across the offshore industry for decades. The experience gained from demanding marine environments continues to provide an important foundation for the next generation of energy infrastructure.

Supporting critical energy infrastructure

For Primo, the connection between offshore wind and offshore oil and gas is clear.

The company develops and manufactures profile solutions used in submarine power cables, umbilicals and other offshore applications. These components play an important role in protecting, stabilizing and optimizing cable constructions that carry power, control the oil wells and signals across challenging marine environments.

While such components are rarely visible once a project is completed, they contribute to the reliability of infrastructure that is critical for modern society.

As offshore wind farms grow larger and are located further from shore, and as countries invest in new transmission links and interconnectors, the performance requirements placed on cable systems continue to increase. This places greater emphasis on materials, design, quality control and testing.

The industry's expectations continue to rise, but so do the opportunities.

Time to market has become a key competitive factor

Today's offshore market is shaped by a different set of challenges than those faced twenty years ago.

Geopolitical developments, increasing project complexity and growing global competition are affecting supply chains across the energy sector. At the same time, projects are becoming increasingly schedule-driven. Delays can have significant consequences for developers, contractors and equipment suppliers alike.

As a result, time to market has become one of the most important performance parameters in many offshore projects.

For suppliers, this means balancing flexibility with consistency. Customers expect rapid response times, reliable deliveries and full compliance with demanding quality standards. The ability to move efficiently from concept and tooling to production can make a significant difference to project success.