Strategy | Technostrobe crosses the border

The Coteau-du-Lac SME, near Vaudreuil-Dorion, will soon open its subsidiary Technostrobe Offshore Solutions with our neighbors to the south, whose plant will assemble beacon equipment for offshore wind turbines.

André Dubuc
Press

This is a US $ 4.5 million investment in Albany, the capital of New York State, 360 kilometers south of Montreal.

“This is the most recent development of a strategic shift undertaken in 2018 with the purchase of a Dutch maritime beacon systems supplier ITO Navaids,” said Francis Lacombe, president, in an interview.

“At the time, we saw that offshore wind projects were to be completed in the years to come and park developers were to be sensitive to a proposal from a company capable of amalgamating the markup products of the ‘aviation, which Technostrobe made in Montreal, and the navigation beacon products, which were produced in the Netherlands, ”he explains.

Unlike onshore wind turbines, offshore windmills are obstacles to both airplanes and boats. They require a whole series of beaconing, light and sound equipment, such as visibility detectors, foggers and safety aid lights.

“The mission of our American subsidiary is to prepare all this equipment in a kit which will simplify the installation of the equipment for the customer while increasing the level of quality”, summarizes Mr. Lacombe, who has worked at Technostrobe since 2008.

According to him, Technostrobe stands out from its peers by its knowledge of both the American market and European wind turbine manufacturers, especially since its acquisition in the Netherlands. Europe is indeed one step ahead of North America when it comes to offshore wind farms.

A history of innovations

Founded in 2001 by Guy Buisson, Technostrobe first made its niche by managing to separate the optical module, the lights at the top of the tower, from the electronic power module at the bottom of the tower. Successfully fighting Ohm’s law – the more distance there is between the power and the optical module, the less energy there will be for the lights – has made the company easier to live with tower operators. communication by allowing them to perform maintenance on equipment on the ground rather than 80 meters or more in the air.

Subsequently, the manufacturer developed LIDS (Lighting Intensity Dimming Solution) technology which adjusts the intensity of the light beacons according to visibility. Innovation contributes to the social acceptability of wind farms by reducing light pollution.

Technostrobe will write the next page of its history in the United States. The Albany plant will be 1,500 square meters and employ 20 people. The opening is scheduled for 1^er next february. The first deliveries must begin on the 1^er June 2022.

The sole shareholder of the SME that he acquired from its founder in 2021, Francis Lacombe is to complete the financial package relating to American expansion. The Company’s usual financial partners are the Mouvement Desjardins and Fondaction CSN.

Offshore wind hub

The opening of an assembly plant in the United States was requested by the main contractors, whether they are the operators of offshore wind farms or even the wind turbine manufacturers themselves under the requirements of Buy America. Act. “It’s part of the rules of the game. However, the Quebec head office will gain by managing to sell more products to the American subsidiary,” said Mr. Lacombe.

Why Albany rather than Plattsburgh like Bombardier, formerly, and Nova Bus?, He is asked. “It is in the process of building a hub for the manufacture of offshore wind turbine components in Albany thanks to its port facilities on the Hudson River which gives access to the American east coast,” replied the president.

The centerpiece of this production platform, the manufacturer Marmen from Trois-Rivières is building, with its partner Welcon from Denmark, an assembly plant for offshore wind turbine components in the port of Albany. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2023. Marmen is the manufacturer selected by the Equinor Wind US consortium, winning two New York State tenders totaling nearly 2,500 megawatts, enough to serve 1.3 million of houses.

New York State has five offshore wind farms under development, representing approximately 50% of its goal of reaching 9,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power by 2035. By comparison, Quebec is the second largest Canadian wind market with an installed capacity of just under 4,000 MW.

The potential market is substantial. “We have secured contracts for the first 5 offshore parks and there are plans to build 89 offshore parks on the US East Coast over the next 25 years. Mr. Lacombe is targeting $ 45 million in revenue by 2025.

Strengths

Clearly defined market niche – Comparative advantage due to its innovative product line – Matching knowledge of North American standards associated with electricity with the needs of European offshore wind turbine manufacturers

Weaknesses

Innovation process to institutionalize – Rapid growth to finance