The world’s biggest offshore wind operator has won a three-year court battle to use its own name following a challenge from descendants of pioneering Danish scientist Hans Christian Orsted.
The Danish Supreme Court on Monday gave its judgment in favour of the renewable energy group, confirming a lower court decision from 2019 and bringing the case to a close, said Orsted.
A group of descendants of Hans Christian Orsted brought their action in early 2018 objecting to the use of the family name by the company when it changed its identity from Dong Energy, marking a “black to green” shift by the former oil & gas player turned offshore wind pioneer.
Orsted CEO Henrik Poulsen said: We changed our name to Orsted in 2017 as a tribute to Hans Christian Orsted, one of the greatest Danish scientists of all time. He discovered electromagnetism 200 years ago, thereby laying the foundation for the way we produce electricity today.
“Therefore, we believe that Orsted is the right name for our company, and we’re pleased that the Danish Supreme Court has upheld our right to use the name.”
Since the rebranding, Orsted has established itself as the global leader of wind at sea with a project portfolio spanning Europe, the Americas and Asia, and has also moved back to land with deals in onshore wind and solar.
Poulsen will leave Orsted in January to be replaced as CEO by Mads Nipper.
