Farm Developers News

Lighting solutions specialist Glamox has won a contract from PGS to provide marine LED lighting for eight of its vessels that undertake seismic surveys of the seabed.This first phase of the major retrofit project will involve replacing fluorescent tube lighting with around 2,500 marine-certified LED luminaires fitted on the exterior and interior of the eight vessels.PGS’s switch to energy-efficient LED lighting is being driven by its desire to comply with emission reduction targets…

Maersk’s offshore vessel-charging venture Stillstrom has launched a collaborative study with EnBW and BP, the developers of the Morgan and Mona offshore wind farms, to assess the viability of integrating offshore charging solutions for service and crew transfer vessels for the two projects.The study will evaluate the operational, technical, and economic viability of integrating offshore charging solutions for Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) and Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) into…

Damen Shipyards Group has officially launched a fully electric service operations vessel (SOV), 70 meters x 17 meters, with its offshore charging capabilities.To achieve offshore charging, Damen has partnered with UK-based MJR Power & Automation – a company that has previously developed an offshore charging system for a crew transfer vessel.The charging system uses the motion-compensated gangway to create a connection between the vessel and a turbine or substation offshore, in much the same way a personnel transfer is undertaken.

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has, following a recent private placement, become a shareholder in Odfjell Oceanwind, a Norwegian floating wind technology developer."The transaction generates significant capital which will be used to further strengthening Odfjell Oceanwind’s position as a global leader and frontrunner in floating offshore wind technologies. Odfjell Technology Ltd. combined with the Odfjell family’s direct investment will remain the largest shareholder in the company…

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.

The low interest in the first-ever auction of offshore wind farm development rights in the Gulf of Mexico marks a potentially serious setback for U.S. President Joe Biden’s green energy agenda, and the U.S. offshore wind sector in general.U.S. officials had touted the auction as a key milestone in Biden’s agenda to make offshore wind a cornerstone of U.S. efforts to fight fossil-fuel-driven climate change.But with only a single bid of $5.6 million emerging for the rights to 102…

Heavy Lift Projects Ltd (HLP), a provider of offshore wind farm logistics, said Tuesday it had completed a funding round with private investors and opened its first office in Edinburgh.The company said that Capercaillie (Investments) Ltd and Giles W Pritchard-Gordon & Co Ltd have committed a "multi-million-pound" investment, which will be used to complete engineering work on its first project, a new design of a ring crane for assembling and loading offshore wind farm components.HLP…

Developers of the Moray West offshore wind farm in the UK have selected Invergordon port in the Cromarty Firth, Scotland, as the location for marshalling all 62 monopiles prior to installation as part of the Moray West offshore wind farm. The wind farm is being developed by Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture owned by EDP Renewables and ENGIE."Moray West has signed a multi-million pound contract with Port of Cromarty Firth (POCF) to use the recently expanded facilities at Invergordon for this scope…

Norwegian-based shipbuilding and design group Ulstein has unveiled the design for a new foundation installation vessel enabling operators and contractors to efficiently transport and install monopiles or jacket foundations up to 5,000 tons.The new ULSTEIN HX122 vessel features an ULSTEIN X-BOW and an ultra-high-capacity 8,000 mt crane, engineered for the next generation of foundations in the offshore wind industry.Market analysts and brokers have flagged a projected shortage of foundation installation vessels as existing tonnage and newbuild orders are expected to lag behind projected demand.

Marine News spoke to leaders at three North American naval architecture and marine engineering firms about some of the latest trends impacting their business today. Mike Fitzpatrick, president, Robert Allan Ltd.; Jeff Bowles, director, DLBA Naval Architects; and Rich Mueller, president and CEO, NETSCo., weigh in on topics such as digitalization, decarbonization and the naval architect talent pool.How do you view the maritime industry’s ongoing shifts in areas such as digitalization and decarbonization…

Singapore-listed firm Marco Polo Marine said Tuesday it planned to build, own and operate a new Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) to meet the rising demand for support vessels required to service the booming offshore wind farm industry in Asia. When completed in the first quarter of 2024, the vessel will also be the first CSOV to be designed in Asia."The group will be funding the construction of the vessel with its existing resources and borrowings from financial institutions.

Denmark's Maersk Supply Service and renewable energy pioneer Stiesdal Offshore have entered into a strategic partnership to offer combined solutions to this fast-growing sector within floating offshore wind.The companies say they intend to combine their respective strengths to meet the significant expansion predicted for floating wind. Specifically, they will offer comprehensive and integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) solutions for foundations and moorings.They said that "This integrated approach will streamline the value chain…

High Tien Offshore, a Taiwanese company that specializes in offshore wind marine engineering services, announced its collaboration with Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center (SOIC) and Jong Shyn Shipbuilding (JSS) to build offshore vessels.“In order to support government’s localization development policy and developers’ bidding for the offshore wind farms of zonal development in Round 3, High Tien Offshore plans to build Crew Transfer Vessels (CTV) and Service Operation Vessel (SOV), with the mission of creating Taiwan values and establishing autonomous capability of marine vessels.

Belgian offshore installation contractor DEME said Saturday that the "revolutionary" offshore installation vessel Orion officially joined its fleet.This next-generation vessel is equipped with a powerful 5,000-tonne crane and is designed to handle the massive turbines and foundations of the future.Amélie Michel, the spouse of  Charles Michel, President of the European Council, agreed to be the godmother of the Orion.In a traditional DEME naming ceremony, she wished ‘Orion’ and the crew a safe and successful career in the fleet.

Whether we realize it or not, robotics and robotics systems are starting to impact our daily lives. From warehouse picking systems through to high-end medical devices through to your mowbot lawnmower. Each tends to be specialized to its own task and a similar trend is now starting to play out in the offshore wind space, where it’s hoped that robots can make operations safer and more efficient.According to a report, The Economic Opportunity for Robotics in Offshore Wind and Key Energy Markets by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult)…

The U.S. has big plans for its offshore wind industry, and shipbuilders like Blount Boats and others are ramping up to capitalize on the unprecedented opportunity.Earlier this year, the Biden Administration unveiled its goal to have 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power installed and in development in the U.S. by 2030. The announcement, which included plans to open new areas to development, accelerate permits and boost public financing for projects, injected a healthy dose of optimism into an American offshore wind industry that has taken its time getting off the ground.To date…

Triumph Subsea Services has signed a letter of intent with Infrastrata for the construction of offshore wind farm development vessels at Infrastrata's Harland & Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland.The letter of intent envisions the construction of two Windfarm Development Vessels ("WDV) each of which will have a length of 200 meters and a beam of 35 meters.Under the terms of the LoI, InfraStrata's subsidiary, Harland & Wolff - a shipyard that built the Titanic - would be responsible for the build…

The offshore wind industry in the United States is growing exponentially, with multiple projects in the development stages off of the Atlantic coast. The total megawatt capacity of U.S. offshore wind farms is anticipated to reach 22,000 by 2030 and 43,000 by 2050. To support this growth, U.S. Department of Energy reports estimate over 40,000 new jobs will be created by 2030.The new jobs anticipated to support the offshore wind industry include a wide range of types, including engineers, trade workers, surveyors, scientists, technicians, managers, and seafarers.

Dutch dredging and heavylift company Royal Boskalis Westminster has acquired the remaining 37.5% in the United Arab Emirates’s Horizon Group, a company specializing in the provision of marine geophysical surveys and geotechnical services.Earlier this year, Boskalis already acquired 62.5% of the shares. The 2019 revenue is expected to exceed USD 100 million and the activities will be consolidated as of 2020.Following this transaction, Boskalis will be able to optimize its successful and expanding position in the marine geophysical and geotechnical survey market.Horizon will continue to focus on its traditionally strong market position…

The offshore wind industry in the United States is growing exponentially, with multiple projects in the development stages off of the Atlantic coast. The total megawatt capacity of U.S. offshore wind farms is anticipated to reach 22,000 by 2030 and 43,000 by 2050. To support this growth, U.S. Department of Energy reports estimate over 40,000 new jobs will be created by 2030.The new jobs anticipated to support the offshore wind industry include a wide range of types, including engineers, trade workers, surveyors, scientists, technicians, managers, and seafarers.

The international accredited registrar and classification society DNV GL calls on industry stakeholders to jointly develop acceptance criteria for LIDAR-measured Turbulence Intensity (TI).The world’s largest resource of independent energy experts said in a press note that it is "calling on wind energy stakeholders to join a new Joint Industry Project (JIP) to explore the potential of using light detection and ranging (LIDAR) to measure wind speed TI for various applications in the wind industry."According to the Norway-headquartered organization, measuring meteorological conditions such as wind speed and TI is essential for assessing and verifying the feasibility of new wind energy projects.

Now that the United States finally can envision steady winds blowing from the Atlantic Seaboard due to a pipeline of offshore wind farms on the horizon, the maritime industry can finally step up and earn some of the benefits. This includes shipbuilding, port construction, and worker training. This article reviews the key developments and forecasts the growth in maritime jobs.The federal and state governments share responsibility for developing offshore wind farms and bringing the wind into the power grid and…

As the North American offshore wind model evolves, it is clear that fit-for-purpose, Jones Act compliant and Arctic ready tonnage will need to be part of the equation. If so, we’ve got that box checked, with a little help from Europe.As of September 2018, the Walney Extension off the United Kingdom is the largest offshore wind farm in the world at 659 megawatts. There are at least 70 major wind farms, each with hundreds of wind turbines, each generating as much as 10 megawatts in offshore England, the North Sea, Russia and China.