Singapore pure-play offshore wind farm vessel owner Cyan Renewables has named the first chief executive of its European operation.
Lars Christian Zohner takes up the role with immediate effect and will be based in Esbjerg, Denmark, overseeing the operations and growth of the firm’s European portfolio.
Zohner boasts more than 20 years’ experience in the maritime sector, most recently as chief executive of Denmark’s World Marine Offshore.
He has held senior leadership roles at other companies, including ESVAGT and RS Platou.
Cyan Renewables said Zohner brings a “wealth of strategic insight, global operations expertise and track record” of serving the offshore wind industry.
“Lars has unparalleled insight into the offshore renewables industry and will be instrumental in developing new strategies and growing our presence in Europe,” said Cyan CEO Lee Keng Lin.
“He has a solid track record working with and operating specialised vessels that service offshore wind farms.”
Denmark has been at the forefront of pioneering, developing and producing offshore wind, Cyan said, making it an obvious choice for its regional headquarters.
Cyan Renewables is backed by Singapore’s Seraya Partners, which describes itself as an “independent investment management firm investing in Asia’s next-generation infrastructure”.
Cyan plans to invest in a dedicated fleet of wind farm support vessels that include cable-lay vessels, service operation vessels and wind turbine installation vessels.
Seraya Partners said there is a “clear impetus” for Cyan and the gaps it aims to plug globally as the world develops offshore wind.
“Offshore wind farms form the backbone of energy transition, reducing our dependency on fossil fuels,” said Seraya Partners chairman James Chern.
“Asia is starting to develop offshore wind farms and there is a clear value proposition that Cyan can deliver to end users.
“We are fully committed to growing Cyan into the world’s first pure-play offshore wind farm vessel operator.”
Cyan Renewables is the third energy transition platform Seraya has launched in two years, following Seoul green data centre operator Empyrion DC and Taiwan-based electric vehicle charging network operator Astrid Renew.
