Energy Segment News

SCHOTTEL GmbH announced it has appointed Roland Schwandt as Deputy CEO with effect from January 1, 2024.Schwandt joined SCHOTTEL in 2000 as a graduate naval architect, starting his career as a project and sales manager  in various SCHOTTEL sales segments. After briefly managing the Tug & Offshore Energy segment, in 2018 he was entrusted with the responsibility for the global sales activities of SCHOTTEL GmbH and its now 14 subsidiaries as Vice President Sales.Alongside his role at SCHOTTEL…

Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S), part of Northern Offshore Group (N-O-G), has integrated Mareel within the company as N-O-S Ltd, simultaneously adding its 16 crew transfer vessels (CTV) to the fleet.The move marks an important step toward optimizing synergies within the organization and pave the way for a unified market approach.The initiative is set to reinforce N-O-S’ business, providing a cohesive platform for delivering unparalleled services to their clients by capitalizing on N-O-S experience in the fast-growing renewable energy segment.“At N-O-G…

Two Ulstein-designed Service Operation Vessels (SOV) for Shanghai Electric were launched at the ZPMC construction yard in China on Saturday, September 16.The two vessels are of the ULSTEIN SX195 and SX197 design, carrying 100 POB and 60 POB, respectively. According to Ulstein, these SOVs are the first purpose-made SOVs for China's offshore wind farms and are scheduled to enter service in 2024."The two vessels have Ulstein's iconic design features, the ULSTEIN X-BOW and X-STERN, providing a highly efficient, robust, and state-of-the-art O&M service platform to the end customers.

A keel-laying ceremony was held for two Ulstein-designed offshore wind service operation vessels (SOV) on Wednesday at the ZPMC yard.Shanghai Electric, a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, ordered the two vessels of the Ulstein SX195 and SX197 designs.The SX195 is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2023, while the SX197 is expected to be delivered in early 2024.The vessels offer accommodation for 60 POB and 100 POB respectively. The design includes Ulstein's X-BOW and the X-STERN design for soft motions and increased comfort.

Norway's Kongsberg Maritime has secured a NOK 300 million ($30,2 million) contract with Pelagic Wind Services to supply advanced vessel design and equipment for two new CSOVs to be built at Cochin Shipyard in India.The CSOVs will be built to Kongsberg Maritime’s UT 5519 HL design, which, according to Kongsberg, has been upgraded to provide the highest level of operability and safety, while lowering fuel consumption and maintaining excellent seakeeping properties. "The new vessels will be able to operate safely and efficiently in any situation with the lowest possible environmental footprint.

Solstad Offshore, a Norwegian company that owns and operates offshore support vessels, has won a contract for the subsea construction vessel Normand Baltic and a contract extension for the subsea construction vessel Normand Navigator.The contracts are for renewable energy projects in North Europe and Asia, with extension options available upon the expiration.The Normand Baltic contract will cover the majority of Q4-22 and Q1-2023, while the Normand Navigator now has a firm contract to Q4 2023…

Kongsberg Maritime will supply integrated equipment packages for two more Integrated Wind Services' offshore wind commissioning service operation vessels, slated for delivery in H1 2024.IWS already has the two identical vessels on order for delivery in 2023, and option agreements for up to two additional vessels, making this a potential six-vessel series.Kongsberg in June 2021 won contracts to design and equip the first two construction service operation vessels (CSOV) for the…

Singapore's Sembcorp Marine said Wednesday it had won a contract for the construction of a Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (“WTIV”).The company did not say who the client was. It said that the WTIV design was based on Sembcorp Marine’s in-house design in collaboration with the customer. Sembcorp Marine did not share information on the value of the order."The WTIV project is scheduled to be completed in early 2025. Sembcorp Marine collaborated with its customer intensively over two years providing design development and verification work…

Ulstein Design & Solutions, part of the Norwegian-based Ulstein Group, said it has secured ship design contracts from ZPMC for two types of service operation vessels (SOVs) that the Chinese shipyard will construct for Shanghai Electric Windpower Group.The SOVs will be built to accommodate 60 POB and 100 POB respectively for the support of Chinese offshore wind operations and maintenance (O&M). Both designs will feature Ulstein's signature X-BOW and X-STERN, and both are engineered to optimize operational capacity…

Global maritime group Wilhelmsen and the Norwegian offshore supply base firm NorSea have together acquired an 18% stake in the Norwegian deep-sea mining company Loke Marine Minerals."As the energy transition continues to gather pace, we are actively looking at new projects and business areas, outside of the oil and gas industry, where NorSea’s unique port infrastructure and proven service and supply know-how can continue to be a key driver of success. The development of the seabed mineral industry in Norway is far from certain…

China Merchant Heavy Industry (CMHI) has ordered 6 × MAN 12V32/44CR main engines in connection with the building of a new 5,000-tonne floating installation crane vessel – already christened ‘Les Alizés’ – for Jan De Nul Group.Delivering a cumulative output of 43,200 kW, the common-rail engines will each feature an enhanced, MAN-supplied SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) system for IMO Tier III-compliance, and will also meet the even-stricter Euro Stage Vcompliant NOx-emission limit.

Norway-based global maritime industry group Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM) has announced the acquisition of a 50% stake of NorSea Wind and it’s subsidiaries to expand its offerings in the the renewable wind energy market.NorSea Wind, founded in 2016 as a subsidiary of  Norsea Group, provides project management and logistics planning throughout all stages for on and offshore wind farm projects.It is the focal element within Norsea Group where it integrates all service offerings for the wind energy segment as it’s go-to-market strategy. Its accumulated expertise and experience combined with proven track record globally provide a market…

During the first six months of this year, container volumes at the Port of Gothenburg rose by 19 per cent, from 318,000 to 378,000 TEUs.The number of cars and intra-European ro-ro units shipped increased by ten and four per cent respectively, whilst the energy segment fell by three per cent. The figures are taken from the Port of Gothenburg’s recently published mid-year volume report.The vast majority of Swedish foreign trade takes place by sea. In the case of trade with countries outside Europe, it is most common for freight to be transported by container ship.During the first six months of the year, 378,000 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) were shipped, up 19 per cent on the corresponding period in 2017.

Ulstein Verft has signed a shipbuilding contract with the Germany-based Bernhard Schulte for a service operation vessel (SOVs) of the ULSTEIN SX195 design type developed by Ulstein Design & Solutions. The vessel will support the maintenance work of GE Renewable Energy at the German wind farm Merkur Offshore.The project has been developed in cooperation with WINDEA Offshore, which is the Bernhard Schulte's affiliate for offshore wind projects."Ulstein Verft is a very reliable yard and we are eager to start working together with ULSTEIN again.

French company Nexans has acquired a controlling interest in Denmark-based BE CableCon, which supplies cable kits to wind turbine companies. The acquisition is part of Nexans’ strategy aimed at reinforcing the Group’s portfolio of activities and accelerating its growth in the renewable energy segment. The acquisition is an illustration of the recently-announced “Paced for Growth” strategy aimed at developing Nexans’ business beyond manufacturing cables to provide customers with complete, fully-integrated cable services. Klaus Moller, CEO of BE CableCon, will head the new Nexans subsidiary company. He said, “Joining the Nexans Group with its expertise in cable production and global footprint will provide the ideal platform to take our business to the next level.

Shipbuilder Ulstein Verft has launched its first vessel within the renewable energy segment, and also the first with the newly-developed X-STERN hull line design. The service operation vessel (SOV) for the offshore wind industry is one of two being constructed for Bernhard Schulte Offshore, and will be working for Siemens servicing the Gemini offshore wind park offshore the Netherlands. The Ulstein Group has previously delivered ship designs for the renewable energy segment, but the Bernhard Schulte Offshore vessels are the first offshore wind service vessels to be constructed at Ulstein Verft. The ship design and shipbuilding contract on the two SOVs were signed in 2015.

Ulstein Group said it achieved a “good result” for 2014, with an operating turnover of NOK 2.7 billion compared to 2013’s NOK 2.3 billion. Meanwhile, the group’s operating profit of NOK 184.1 million comes in under the NOK 317.8 million operating profit for 2013, while the 2014 operating result before tax of NOK 167.7 million is again lower than NOK 360.8 million for 2013. “We are pleased with last year’s figures. Today’s market is tough, and we are preparing for even harder times to come. There will be major demand for restructuring and change,” said CEO Gunvor Ulstein.

Norway's Havyard Ship Technology has delivered the first of three offshore wind service operations vessels to Danish shipping company Esvagt. The 83.7-metre vessel is the first of its kind to be manufactured by the oil sector specialist and will be deployed under long-term contracts with Siemens. The vessel is the first of a pair ordered in July 2013 to work under long-term contracts with Siemens on service assignments for offshore wind farms. The second is scheduled for delivery from the shipyard in March this year. Esvagt has also ordered an additional Havyard 832 SOV from the shipbuilder that will be under contract for the Dudgeon windfarm, which is operated by Statoil.

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. reported a higher revenue for the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period last year. This was in line with company expectations. This achievement was the result of Good utilization of the Dredging and Offshore vessels. Adjusted for the acquisition of Dockwise, which was only included in the consolidated figures from the second quarter of 2013, revenue was also  higher. There was no material change in market circumstances during the quarter in a stable market. At the end of March the group order book was also stable compared to the end of 2013. Revenue in the Dredging & Inland Infra segment was slightly higher than in the first quarter of 2013, partly influenced by projects in Qatar, Brazil and India.

Canada-based Aecon Group Inc. Revenue was $590 million for the second quarter of 2014 compared to $698 million for the same period of 2013, largely due to lower revenue in Mining (as a result of lower volume of site installation work following the substantial completion of a significant project in 2013, and lower demand for contract mining services largely driven by temporary client production shutdowns in the oil sands during the second quarter). Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2014 was $13.8 million compared to $36.7 million for the second quarter of 2013 driven by the slower quarter in the Mining segment. For the first half of 2014, Adjusted EBITDA was $16.9 million compared to $25.4 million in the prior year.

Despite what it describes as 'challenging market conditions' Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. posted record profits in the first half year ended 30, June 2014. The results in all three segments rose sharply compared to the first half of 2013. Dredging & Inland Infra had a busy first half of the year with a high fleet utilization rate, good project margins and substantial settlement results on old projects. The Offshore Energy segment also had a good first half of the year with a high fleet utilization rate and good project margins. Furthermore, Dockwise contributed an extra quarter to earnings compared to 2013 in addition to a sizable contribution from cancellation and rescheduling fees.

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has concluded a good third quarter. Revenue and earnings, adjusted to reflect the deconsolidation of SAAM SMIT Towage, are in line with the first two quarters of 2014. At Dredging the possible settlement of a number of old projects mentioned during the presentation of the half-year numbers has taken place. This contributed substantially to third quarter earnings. Overall market conditions remain challenging. Despite this the order book has risen slightly, compared to the mid-2014 level, to EUR 3.3 billion, which is on par with the level at the start of the year. Based on current insights the second half of the year is expected to be good.

Ulstein Verft has signed a shipbuilding contract with the Germany-based Bernhard Schulte for two service operation vessels (SOVs) of the ULSTEIN SX175 design developed by Ulstein Design & Solutions. The final detailed arrangements and equipment for the vessels have been developed and specified in cooperation with WINDEA Offshore GmbH & Co. KG, which is the Bernhard Schulte’s affiliate for offshore wind projects. “Delivery schedule reliability was our number one priority when choosing the ship yard. We considered several yards worldwide, but Ulstein Verft was our final choice.