Manufacturing Update

In its first-quarter 2026 results announcement on 29 April 2026, Aker Solutions reported that it had completed the cluster install on the jacket for RWE's Norfolk Vanguard West HVDC offshore platform, marking a major fabrication milestone for the project's HVDC offshore substation. The Aker Solutions / Siemens Energy consortium received full notice to proceed from RWE on 15 January 2025 for the HVDC platforms supporting Norfolk Vanguard West and Norfolk Vanguard East, with Aker Solutions executing engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the offshore platforms while Siemens Energy delivers the high-voltage equipment. According to the Aker Solutions Q1 2026 investor presentation, fabrication of the Norfolk Vanguard West HVDC platform commenced in 2025 with delivery scheduled for 2027 (Norfolk Vanguard East follows a year later, with delivery scheduled for 2028). The cluster install completion is one of the principal physical milestones reported by the consortium for the Norfolk Vanguard cluster in the quarter, alongside continued steel cutting at Aker Solutions yards. Before offshore installation in 2027, the platforms will be towed to Aker Solutions' Stord yard in Norway for outfitting and integration of the high-voltage electrical equipment.