DONG Energy is Becoming Ørsted
Following its profound strategic transformation from black to green energy and the recent divestment of the upstream oil and gas production, DONG Energy has asked its shareholders to approve a change of its company name to Ørsted.
Thomas Thune Andersen, Chairman of the Board of Directors, says: “DONG was originally short for Danish Oil and Natural Gas. With our profound strategic transformation and the divestment of our upstream oil and gas business, this is no longer who we are. Therefore, now is the right time to change our name. Our vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing the world today, and to avoid causing serious harm to the global ecosystems, we need to fundamentally change the way we power the world by switching from black to green energy.”
Henrik Poulsen, CEO of DONG Energy, adds: “2017 will be remembered as the year when offshore wind became cheaper than black energy, as demonstrated by the recent tenders for offshore wind in Germany and the UK. It has never been more clear that it is possible to create a world that runs entirely on green energy. The time is now right for us to change our name to demonstrate that we want to help create such a world. Today, we are dedicated to green energy. Our focus going forward will be on green growth based on our existing business platforms in offshore wind, biomass, green customer solutions and advanced waste-to-energy solutions. We will also explore new green growth opportunities to strengthening our existing platform, if they support our vision, provide a strong competitive position and create value for our shareholders.”
The new name – Ørsted – references the innovative Danish scientist Hans Christian Ørsted (1777-1851). Ørsted spearheaded several scientific discoveries, including the discovery of electromagnetism in 1820, which helped lay the scientific foundation for how today’s societies are powered. As part of becoming Ørsted, a new logo and brand identity will be introduced. The new brand identity is inspired by the Danish design tradition in being simple, functional and human and supporting a sustainable way of life. The brand identity will consist of a full spectrum of colours, inspired by Scandinavian nature and the Danish 20th century artist Vilhelm Lundstrøm. Mr Poulsen says: “We’ve undertaken significant efforts to find the right name and brand identity for our company. Our new name recognises H.C. Ørsted’s curiosity, dedication and interest in nature and our brand identity speaks to the innovation and profound understanding of nature, which is vital to creating a world that runs entirely on green energy.”