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Orion News

18 Apr 2024

All Clear for Construction Start of Virginia’s 2.6GW Offshore Wind Farm

© DJ / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the final air quality permit for Dominion Energy’s 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project located off the coast of Virginia Beach in the United States.Issued on April 9 following a 30-day public comment period, the permit authorizes the construction and operation of the largest offshore wind project in the U.S.

18 Apr 2024

DEME’s Orion Vessel Heads to US After Finishing Scottish Offshore Wind Job

DEME's Orion vessel (Credit: DEME)

DEME’s DP3 offshore installation vessel Orion has departed for the United States to prepare for the installation of 176 foundations on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, following the wrap up of works at the 882 MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland.DEME’s flagship Orion vessel has completed monopile installation works on Ocean Winds’ Moray West offshore wind farm project in Scotland.Despite harsh winter conditions, DEME managed to install 29 monopiles in approximately two months.Meanwhile…

15 Apr 2024

First US-built WTIV Charybdis Launched

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Dr. Steve Feldgus, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Elizabeth Klein and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Deputy Director Paul Huang recently toured Dominion Energy’s Charybdis at the Seatrium AmFELS shipyard. (Photo: BOEM)

The United States' first Jones Act-compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), Charybdis, was launched into the water at the Seatrium AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas.The 472-foot WTIV—the first and only to be constructed in the U.S.—is being built for Blue Ocean Energy Marine, a subsidiary of Dominion Energy, who announced the milestone on Monday. Welding of the ship's hull and commissioning of the vessel's four legs and related jacking system has been completed…

24 Mar 2024

Esgian Week 12 Report: New Finds in Guyana, China and Norway

© bomboman / Adobe Stock

Esgian reports fresh finds confirmed in Guyana, China and Norway in its Week 12 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report Outline:ContractsDolphin Drilling has announced the award of a $154 million drilling contract from India's exploration and production company, Oil India Limited (Oil India), to the 6,000-ft semisub Blackford Dolphin.Malaysian offshore drilling firm Velesto confirmed Friday it had recently secured long-term contract extensions for three of its jackup rigs with Petronas Carigali…

20 Feb 2024

DEME Installs First XXL Monopile for Moray West Offshore Wind Farm

(Credit: DEME)

Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has installed the first XXL monopile foundation at the 882 MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland.DEME used its Orion offshore installation vessel to complete the task, which is part of its work scope that includes both the installation of monopiles and transition pieces.The company’s jack-up vessel Apollo is also joining the effort, taking care of installing the transition pieces.According to DEME, it is using vibro hammer technology, minimizing the environmental impact from vibrations.Apollo vessel previously demonstrated its ex

26 Jan 2024

Orion Joins Dredging Contractors of America

(Photo: Chip Worley / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Houston based dredging and marine construction contractor Orion Group Holdings – Marine Group has become a member of trade group the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA).Orion has a near 100-year legacy and today ranks among market leaders in the provision of dredging services to keep waterways serviceable and to expand ports and other marine infrastructure throughout the United States, territories and Caribbean. The company works to create beneficial marsh habitats, dredging…

17 Oct 2023

Orion Wins Contract to Replace Dry Dock at Grand Bahama Shipyard

(File photo: Grand Bahama Shipyard)

Construction and engineering company Orion Group Holdings announced it has been awarded a contract worth more than $100 million for the turnkey design-build of a replacement dry dock at the Grand Bahama Shipyard, situated in Grand Bahama, Bahamas.The scope of work includes marine works and infrastructure construction, dredging, creating new mooring facilities and providing enhancements to shore stability. In addition, Orion will modify and extend service piers for the installation of two cutting-edge floating dry docks, which are among the largest in the western hemisphere.

21 Aug 2023

David Clark Company: An American Success Story

David Clark digital and wireless communication systems provide clear boat crew communications on patrol, offshore and fire/rescue craft. (Photo: David Clark Company)

David Clark Company is best known within the marine market for its wireless and digital headset workboat crew communication systems – the Series 9900 Wireless Marine Headset System and the Series 9100 Digital Marine Headset System. The company has over 20 years of experience designing and manufacturing boat crew communication solutions for a variety of workboats, e.g., patrol boats, fire/rescue craft, and offshore service vessels.But you may not know that David Clark Company started…

07 Aug 2023

PHOTO: First U.S. Offshore Wind Substation Stands Tall

Credit: Avangrid

Avangrid, a U.S.-based subsidiary of the Spanish renewable energy giant Iberdrola, on Monday shared a photo of the completed Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind substation.This is the first offshore wind substation installed in the U.S. and will serve the country's first large-scale offshore wind farm - Vineyard Wind.DEME Offshore used its flagship vessel, Orion, to install the 3,000-ton Vineyard Wind 1 substation.The offshore substation serves to collect the generated electricity from 62 wind turbines and sends the power through an export cable and into the regional electricity grid.Once completed…

27 Jul 2023

Obscure Traders Ship Half Russia's Oil Exports to India, China After Sanctions

© Jouni Niskakoski / Adobe Stock

A Liberian-flagged oil tanker set sail in May from Russia's Ust-Luga port carrying crude on behalf of a little-known trading company based in Hong Kong. Before the ship had even reached its destination in India, the cargo changed hands.The new owner of the 100,000 tonnes of Urals crude carried on the Leopard I was a similarly low-profile outfit, Guron Trading, also based in Hong Kong, according to two trading sources.The number of little-known trading firms relied on by Moscow to export large volumes of crude exports to Asia has mushroomed in recent months…

26 Jul 2023

In a First for the U.S., DEME Installs 3,000 Ton Offshore Substation for Vineyard Wind 1

DEME's Orion installation vessel (File image)  - Credit: DEME

Offshore installation firm DEME Offshore said Tuesday it had installed the approximately 3,000 ton offshore substation for the Vineyard Wind 1 project - the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States."The installation of the offshore substation, a first in the US, took place after months of preparation with collaboration and dedication of all partners involved in the construction of the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project, including skilled union labor from the Massachusetts Building Trades…

21 Jun 2023

Missing Titanic Submersible Update: Searchers Detect Subsea Sounds

Copyright chocolatefather/AdobeStock

Search teams detected underwater sounds while scanning the North Atlantic for a tourist submersible that vanished with five people aboard during a deep-sea voyage to the century-old wreck of the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said early on Wednesday.The detection of the sounds by Canadian aircraft on Tuesday, day three of the search, was reported by the Coast Guard as the clock ticked down to the last 24 hours of the missing craft's presumed oxygen supply.Robotic undersea search operations were diverted to the area where the sounds seemed to originate…

09 Jun 2023

Steel in the Water: Foundation Installation Kicks Off for First Commercial-scale U.S. Offshore Wind Farm

DEME's Orion installation vessel - Credit: Vineyard Wind

The installation of the first monopiles and transition pieces has kicked off for the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States - the Vineyard Wind 1.“We can finally say it – as of today, there is ‘steel in the water,’” said Klaus S. Moeller, CEO of Vineyard Wind, the company developing the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm, located in a federal wind energy area 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and 35 miles from mainland Massachusetts.Vineyard…

13 Mar 2023

$2.8 Billion Contract Awarded for New Concrete Dry Dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard

(File photo: Michael B. Zingaro / U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy's engineering systems command has awarded a $2.8 billion contract for the construction of a new concrete dry dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF).The $2,839,880,250 firm-fixed-price task order, which falls under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract, was awarded by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Pacific to a joint venture between Dragados, Hawaiian Dredging and Orion. Four…

29 Jan 2023

Spanish Police Seize Cocaine Worth $114 Million from Cattle Ship

Spanish police seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of 105 million euros ($114 million) after raiding a cattle ship off the Canary Islands earlier this week, a statement said on Saturday.The ship had stopped at ports in about a dozen countries before Tuesday's raid, and police said drug smugglers had started using livestock ships because it was more difficult for police to trace their illicit cargo."International organisations are reinventing themselves to transport drugs from Latin America to Europe, using livestock to make the control and localisation more difficult," the Spanish police statement said.Police arrested 28 crew members on the Togo-flagged Orion V, which had been trailed from Colombia in an operation by Spanish authorities, the U.S.

25 Jan 2023

Cromarty Firth Port Wins Monopile Marshalling Deal for Moray West Offshore Wind Farm

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…

04 Jan 2023

Hull Fouling Spoils Australia-New Zealand Cruise

Viking Cruises will compensate hundreds of passengers on its Orion cruise ship after cruisers were forced to stay on board and miss multiple stops because officials blocked port access due to marine growth on the ship's hull.The 930-guest capacity Viking Orion docked in Sydney on Wednesday, the final stop on what is normally a 15-day, 9-stop cruise of New Zealand and Australia.But plans went awry, local media reported, after New Zealand officials asked the ship to leave the country's waters part way through its cruise after finding small amounts of biofoul - plants, algae and small animals - that grow on ship hulls.Steaming directly to the southern Australian port of Adelaide and bypassing planned stops in Tasmania and New Zealand's south island…

06 Oct 2022

Callan Marine Names Maldonado VP

Joey Maldonado (Photo: Callan Marine)

Galveston, Texas based dredging and marine construction contractor Callan Marine said it has named Joey Maldonado as Vice President of Construction Estimating.A 25-year veteran of the construction and maritime industry, Maldonado has worked for Kingsley Constructors, Keystone Contractors, Orion Marine Group, and Russell Marine, serving as both a Project Estimator and Design Engineer. Maldonado graduated from Wharton College in 1999.“We are very excited to welcome Joey to our Callan work family,” stated Greg Harner, Chief Operating Officer of Callan Marine.

07 Sep 2022

Orion Group Names Thanisch Executive VP & CFO

Scott Thanisch (Photo: Orion Group Holdings)

Specialty construction company Orion Group Holdings, Inc., announced that Scott Thanisch has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and will assume his new duties on September 12, 2022.Thanisch comes to Orion after serving as the Chief Financial Officer of a Texas commercial construction services company and a transport services, maintenance, and repair company, having previously held various related positions in other industries. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas at Austin…

12 Aug 2022

DEME Offshore's Flagship Vessel 'Orion' Installs Fécamp Substation

©DEME

Belgium-based offshore installation firm DEME Offshore has installed the offshore substation of the Fécamp offshore wind farm, offshore France, using its new flagship vessel 'Orion.'The  DP3 installation vessel Orion is equipped with a 5,000-tonne crane, built to handle the next generation of offshore wind farm components.‘Orion’ has now installed the 1,300-tonne jacket and the 2,200-tonne topside, completing the project on schedule on August 11.Four months ago, DEME also carried out the pre-installation of the offshore substation’s foundations using the DP2 jack-up vessel ‘Sea Installer.’ DEM

08 Jun 2022

DEME Offshore's Flagship Vessel Orion Installs First Monopile at German Offshore Wind Project

Credit: DEME Offshore

DEME Offshore's recently delivered flagship offshore installation vessel Orion has installed the first monopile at Arcadis Ost 1 offshore wind farm site in the German Baltic Sea to the northeast of Rügen island. Arcadis Ost 1 is a 257 MW offshore wind project developed by Parkwind. "Deploying ‘Orion’,  the newest member of the DEME fleet and the most innovative vessel in the offshore wind industry, DEME Offshore has successfully installed the first XXL monopile at Parkwind’s Arcadis Ost 1 offshore wind farm in Germany…

02 May 2022

'Revolutionary' Vessel Orion Joins DEME Offshore's Installation Vessel Fleet

Credit: DEME

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.

22 Apr 2022

DEME's 'Revolutionary' Offshore Installation Vessel Orion Set for Debut

Belgian offshore installation company DEME said Friday that its 'revolutionary' new offshore installation vessel 'Orion' this week docked for the first time at the company's base near Vlissingen, in the Netherlands.The  DP3 installation vessel Orion is equipped with a 5,000-tonne crane, built to handle the next generation of offshore wind farm components."Orion’ is now being prepared for its first project… and for the official naming ceremony taking place soon!," DEME said in a social media post.Worth noting, the Orion's delivery is a belated one. Namely, in May 2020, an incident happened at crane maker Liebherr's yard in Rostock, Germany, when the Orion's giant crane collapsed onto the vessel during crane load tests, injuring several people.

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