Offshore Windfarm News

ESNA and Strategic Marine have signed an agreement to develop a SES CTV (Surface Effect Ship Crew Transfer Vessel) for offshore wind applications.According to Wikipedia, a surface effect ship or sidewall hovercraft is a watercraft that has both an air cushion, like a hovercraft, and twin hulls, like a catamaran.The vessel type offers the combination of higher speed, increased operational wave height and reduced fuel oil consumption.The plan is to start building the first offshore…

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has unveiled a concept for a first-of-its kind service operations vessel (SOV) that runs on liquid hydrogen.The French-headquartered company said it has been working alongside Norwegian naval architecture firm Salt Ship Design as well as main equipment suppliers, fuel providers, class and flag authorities, and others to produce the concept—with support from the European Commission.The groundbreaking SOV, currently in the concept design phase, would be able to operate 95% of the time with zero carbon emissions, only releasing water during standard operations.

Windward Offshore has exercised its option for the design and construction for two additional hybrid commissioning service operation vessels (CSOV) from Vard.Windward Offshore, a consortium led by ASSC's offshore arm SeaRenergy Group in Germany, announced its initial order for two CSOVs from Vard in October 2023. Other founding partners behind the venture include Blue Star Group, Diana Shipping Inc. and SeraVerse."Windward Offshore is pleased to announce the execution of the options for two further VARD 4 19 CSOVs…

The Windward Offshore consortium said Monday it had ordered two state-of-the-art Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOV) from VARD to "establish a sturdy basis for its maritime asset services focusing on bolstering the burgeoning offshore wind industry."Winward Offshore is a consortium currently under establishment and is led by SeaRenergy Group in collaboration with Blue Star Group, Diana Shipping Inc., and SeraVerse GmbH."Windward Offshore will play a key role in the energy transition by providing integrated offshore wind service solutions.

Shipbuilder and designer VARD has ordered 4 × MAN 12V175D-MEM gensets in connection with the building of a new purpose-built, cable-laying vessel (CLV) for Danish subsea specialit NCT Offshore.The gensets will form part of the vessel’s diesel-electric DP2 propulsion system, which also includes a hybrid battery package.The high-speed 175D gensets will each come accompanied by compact MAN selective catalytic reduction systems. Furthermore, MAN Energy Solutions states that the engines…

Cadeler A/S published its interim financial report for the first half of 2023 presenting a positive result exceeding the guidance projected for the fiscal year 2023. Revenue in the first six months of 2023 was EUR 68 million, which is an increase of 57% against the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA for the first half of 2023 was EUR 44 million, which is a EUR 21 million increase compared to the same period last year. EBITDA for H1 2023 was EUR 42 million. Profit for the period is EUR 29 million, which is EUR 19 million higher than the same period in 2022.

The Biden administration on Wednesday approved construction of an offshore windfarm that will generate 1,100 megawatts of power from up to 98 turbines off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey, becoming the third such project in the United States.Approval of Orsted's Ocean Wind by the Interior Department is the administration's latest move toward meeting its goal of developing 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind in the U.S.

Strategic Marine unveiled a new shipyard facility located on JTC’s waterfront site at 5 Benoi Road in western Singapore. The ceremony also saw the delivery of Southeast Asia’s first hybrid crew transfer vessel (CTV), and the unveiling of Strategic Marine’s fourth-generation fast crew boat (FCB).The new facility features a 5,000-DWT dry dock measuring 105m in length, 18.5m in width, and 8m in depth as well as a 6,000 DWT slipway.As part of the opening ceremony, the hybrid CTV, HST Swansea, was delivered to its new owner, UK-based HST Marine, along with its sistervessel, HST Tynemouth.

Inland and Coastal Marina Systems (ICMS) in Scotland said Friday it had installed a heavy-duty pontoon system in Eyemouth Harbour as part of the new operations and maintenance (O&M) base for the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm.The system comprises a 58m x 4m pontoon and a 27m x 4m pontoon, both with one meter freeboard to match that of the vessels, creating a berthing facility for crew transfer vessels (CTVs) serving the new wind farm which is located  15.5 kilometers of the coast of Fife…

Spain's Freire Shipyard won a contract from the Briggs Marine for the design and construction of a new Maintenance Support Vessel to support Briggs’ ongoing contracts for the inspection, servicing and replacement of navigation marks and heavy inshore moorings, operating as required with an attendant onboard diving team. The new building, which is schedule for delivery in 2024, is 40m long with a diesel-electric DP-2 propulsion system. The ship will be designed to have excellent…

At the Sea Tech Week Maritime Transport conference this past September, held in Brest, France, there was no shortage of big-picture, creative ideas pertaining to maritime shipping and alternative energy.One such project, called Seaguel, was presented as part of a larger discussion on hydrogen (H2) as maritime fuel. The full session was titled “Distributing Hydrogen from Offshore Wind Farms as a Fuel for Ships.” The topic was developed by France Energies Marines (FEM), a public-private R&D collaborative focused on offshore renewable energy.Right now…

It will take a team effort that spans sectors and even industries to meet the United States’ goal of 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030, writes Greg Lennon, ABS Vice President, Global Offshore Wind.As the United States offshore wind (OSW) industry considers the Biden-Harris Administration’s 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 goal, it’s easy to be struck by the monumental scope of the task ahead. From constructing enough installations before the aggressive deadline to the myriad support vessels needed to achieve these goals…

Global offshore geotechnical data acquisition, analysis and reporting specialist Geoquip Marine has confirmed the continued expansion of its fleet with the addition of a further Integrated Geotechnical Survey Vessel (IGSV) the Geoquip Elena.Geoquip Elena is setup as a specialist deep-push Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) vessel and has been acquired to add vital capacity to the demand from offshore windfarm developers, especially in Europe and North America.The Geoquip Elena is a 4000 ton IGSV, 91m in length and 19m in breadth.

Danish offshore wind installation contractor Cadeler on Monday said it has signed an agreement with Ørsted for the installation of offshore foundations at the Hornsea 3 offshore windfarm, off the east coast of the U.K.Scheduled to begin in 2026, the offshore installation campaign will mark the first for Cadeler's new $345 million F-class jack-up installation vessel being built by China's COSCO Heavy Industries for expected delivery in the fourth quarter of 2025. The newbuild will be able to transport up to six XL monopiles (weight 2…

Cadeler A/S signed a contract with Vestas for the EnBW’s He Dreiht offshore windfarm project to provide the installation and transportation of 64 15 MW Vestas turbines (WTGs).The WTG installation is scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2025 and will be finished by the end of the year. It will be executed by one of Cadeler’s two O-class vessels, which will feature a new crane with a lifting capacity of 1600 metric tons at a radius of 40m.The He Dreiht project, which will operate on a subsidy-free basis by EnBW…

Singapore-listed offshore services provider Marco Polo Marine has completed the acquisition of the offshore renewables service firm PKR Offshore.Marco Polo bought the Taiwan-based company through its 49% owned joint venture company, Oceanic Crown Offshore Marine Services Ltd, through the completion of its previously announced share purchase agreement with Kerry and POSH.PKR was part of the POSH Kerry Renewables joint venture, a service provider for the offshore renewables sector that offers a suite of services across the entire life cycle of offshore wind projects. "The completion of the acquisition of [PKR Offshore ] is expected to…

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and the offshore wind developer Ørsted on Thursday announced a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) to construct the company’s U.S. offshore wind farms with an American union workforce. A statement on the agreement released Thursday reads: "A first-of-its-kind in the United States, the National Offshore Wind Agreement (NOWA) sets the bar for working conditions and equity, injects hundreds of millions of dollars in middle-class wages into the American economy…

Edward Heerema is founder and president of Allseas, which brought the world’s largest construction vessel, Pioneering Spirit, to the market. The company, which also brought innovation to the pipelay sector, has added its latest trick to Pioneering Spirit – its jacket lift system. But Allseas is also targeting deepsea mining and has its sights on the offshore wind market. Elaine Maslin caught up with Edward Heerema to find out more.The first time I met Edward Heerema was at the company’s offices in Delft, in the Netherlands.

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…

Vallianz Holdings Limited entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Royal IHC to design and build a next generation service operation vessel (SOV) to support offshore wind farms.Designed by Royal IHC, the battery hybrid SOV will house advanced levels of integration and autonomy, designed to be ready for true zero emission operations by using full battery offshore charging system and alternative fuels for propulsion.The SOV will have a dynamic positioning system, a motion compensated gangway and crane, an elevator tower as well as a daughter craft with step-less boat landing.

Norway-based offshore vessel owner Integrated Wind Solutions (“IWS”) has ordered two Walk-to-Work Commissioning Service Operations Vessels (“CSOV”). The vessels are scheduled for delivery in H1 2024 from China Merchants Industry, Hong Kong. Currently, IWS has two identical vessels on order for delivery in 2023 and option agreements for up to two additional vessels for potentially H2 2024 delivery.The firm yard price for the two vessels is about EUR 48 million per vessel (around $52,76 million).

Subsea services provider James Fisher has chartered Go Marine Group's multi-purpose service vessel Go Electra for UXO identification services and IMR projects in the North Sea.The vessel will be used by James Fisher group companies James Fisher Renewables (JF Renewables) and James Fisher Subtech (JF Subtech) for the rest of 2022."The long-standing agreement will see quicker response times and tailored health and safety standards implemented, as well as stabilized and reliable day rates for customers.

UK-based crew transfer vessel operator Seacat Services said Thursday it had signed a long-term charter for catamaran Seacat Weatherly with Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) Limited.Seacat Weatherly has already started its assignments earlier this quarter to support Operations & Maintenance (O&M) activity for the Moray East service team working at the 100-turbine, 950MW capacity wind farm in the UK."Building wind farms in deeper waters further from shore enables operators to harness greater wind speeds with fewer obstructions than on land…