Offshore Wind News

The substructures for fixed offshore wind turbines weigh thousands of tonnes. Only about five vessels in the world can lift that much weight. So now researchers are testing an alternative: an unusually wide barge.Using experience gained from the oil and gas industry, Aker Solutions, the Belgian contractor Sarens, and the maritime group BOA recently spent time at SINTEF’s Ocean Basin in Trondheim. There they used models to test the feasibility of employing an extra-wide barge to transport several substructures simultaneously.

Cadeler has completed the installation of the first fully commissioned monopile foundation at Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the UK, marking a major milestone in the execution of one of the world’s largest offshore wind developments.The installation is the first of 197 monopile foundations Cadeler will transport and install as part of the company’s full transportation and installation (T&I) scope for the project.Once completed, Hornsea 3 will become the single largest offshore wind farm in the world…

ABS and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a range of initiatives supporting sustainability, digital innovation and operational resilience in the maritime and offshore sectors, with a particular emphasis on accelerating the development of next-generation energy solutions.The scope of cooperation includes offshore wind development, offshore substations, small modular reactors (SMRs), offshore spaceport infrastructure…

Belgian offshore contractor DEME has officially named its new jack-up offshore transport and installation vessel, Norse Energi, strengthening its offshore wind installation fleet alongside sister vessel Norse Wind.Norse Energi wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) is soon expected to begin operations in the Baltic Sea and North Sea.The initial assignments include Iberdrola’s Windanker offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea from June 2026 and Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 project in…

EnergyPathways has signed a collaboration agreement with Associated British Ports (ABP) to evaluate the Port of Barrow in northwest England as a location for onshore facilities linked to its Marram Energy Storage Hub (MESH) project.The AIM-listed company said the MESH project, located in the Irish Sea, is expected to combine compressed air energy storage with natural gas and hydrogen storage using subsea salt caverns.According to EnergyPathways, the project has the potential to support up to 60 subsurface salt caverns and is targeted to begin operations in 2031…

Dutch non-destructive testing specialist Ned Marine has launched drone and remotely operated vehicle (ROV)-based inspection services aimed at vessels, offshore installations and industrial assets.The company said the new services combine aerial drones and subsea ROVs with existing non-destructive testing (NDT) capabilities, including visual inspections and ultrasonic thickness measurements.Ned Marine said drone-based inspections would allow surveys of confined spaces, offshore and onshore wind turbines…

Offshore infrastructure services provider North Star has secured a multi-million-dollar pipeline of emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) contracts covering 17 vessels operating in the North Sea.The awards, comprising new contracts and extensions, represent around 50 years of combined contract duration, the company said.North Star said the contracts were secured through competitive tenders and renewals with offshore energy operators across the UK Continental Shelf.The company…

Vicinay Marine and Spanish applied research center Tecnalia have jointly developed a sensor designed to remotely monitor corrosion on offshore mooring lines, aiming to improve the safety, reliability and service life of offshore systems.The companies said the sensor uses electrical resistance measurements to quantify section loss in mooring components in real time, model degradation trends and predict remaining service life.The technology is targeted at offshore wind farms and other floating offshore systems…

Fugro has been awarded a major geotechnical survey contract by SSE for the Berwick Bank B offshore wind development in the North Sea off Scotland.Berwick Bank B forms part of the wider 4.1 GW Berwick Bank offshore wind project, which is being developed in three phases and could become the world’s largest offshore wind farm if completed at full scale.The Dutch geodata specialist said the contract covers a full geotechnical investigation campaign to support foundation design for fixed-bottom turbines planned at the Berwick Bank B site…

Ta San Shang Marine (TSSM), a joint venture between Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Taiwan’s Ta Tong Marine, has taken delivery of a new commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV), the TSS Cruiser, which is now ready to support offshore wind farm operations in Taiwan.Built by Damen Shipyards in Ha Long in Vietnam, the TSS Cruiser is the second service operation vessel operated by TSSM following the delivery of the TSS Pioneer in 2022, which the company described as Asia’s first SOV.The new vessel is designed to support offshore wind farm construction and commissioning activities in Taiwan…

Europe's offshore wind expansion is running into a structural supply constraint where the turbine market is becoming increasingly concentrated. GE Vernova, Siemens Gamesa and Vestas have historically anchored Western offshore turbine supply, but with GE Vernova having paused new offshore wind orders following a series of technical and operational setbacks, Siemens Gamesa and Vestas now account for virtually all turbines available to European developers. Rystad Energy’s analysis of the offshore wind market outlines a sharp increase in per-megawatt (MW) costs…

California energy officials on Monday opened an investigation into the Trump administration's agreement with an offshore wind company to cancel a planned project off the state's central coast.The state said it was seeking information about the $120 million government payout to determine whether it violated the law.The refunds of offshore lease payments, in exchange for fossil fuel investments, are part of a recent strategy in President Donald Trump's year-long effort to stymie…

The changing global bottom-fixed offshore wind turbine and foundation installation marketThe last two or three years have seen a change in the underlying stakeholder support for the energy transition, resulting in the energy trilemma being focused more on energy security and affordability than transition, which means a pivot away from renewables to increased support for oil & gas. At the same time, inflation and interest rates have impacted project economics. Needless to say,…

Dutch grid operator TenneT is preparing to begin horizontal directional drilling at Maasvlakte as part of efforts to connect three offshore wind farms to the onshore grid.Steel casing pipes have been installed at three beach work sites, allowing drilling beneath the beach and seabed to begin, weather permitting.The drilling will be carried out in three stages, starting with a pilot bore from the beach towards the sea, followed by widening of the borehole and the installation of…

Norwind Offshore has doubled its fleet through the acquisition of six commissioning service operation (CSOV) vessels from Edda Wind.The transaction was completed in partnership with Navigare Capital Partners, the company said.The vessels have either recently been delivered or are in the final stages of delivery and are designed for offshore wind operations, featuring Vard 4 25 and SALT 0217 designs.“This transaction marks a significant step forward for Norwind Offshore. It is not just about the scale – it is about readiness.

Mooring and anchoring specialist Mooreast Holdings has granted an option to sell its leasehold property in Singapore for $23.3 million, aiming to boost offshore wind activities at new location.The company said it expects net proceeds of about $15 million after settling outstanding loans and transaction costs related to the 51 Shipyard Road property, with funds to be redeployed toward its newly acquired facility at 60 Shipyard Crescent in Singapore.The property sale remains subject to conditions including approval from Jurong Town Corporation and Mooreast shareholders…

President Donald Trump's administration said on Monday that it had reached a deal to end two more U.S. offshore wind leases in exchange for $885 million in pledged investments in domestic fossil fuels.The projects, one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific, are managed by Ocean Winds, a joint venture between France's ENGIE and Portugal's EDP Renewables.The announcement comes a month after French energy giant TotalEnergies reached a similar agreement with the Interior Department to redirect $1 billion from offshore wind leases to U.S. oil and gas production.

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore has launched an Offshore Center of Excellence in Asia Pacific to support offshore energy projects.The center will combine regional teams in Singapore, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur with the company’s global technical network to support oil and gas and offshore renewable energy developments.The initiative comes as offshore projects increase in scale and complexity, requiring coordinated expertise across multiple disciplines and supply chains.Bureau Veritas said the center will provide a single hub for services including classification…

Ocean services provider DeepOcean has secured a contract to support installation of inter-array cables at the TPC offshore wind farm phase 2 (TPC-II) off Taiwan.The scope includes installation of cables connecting turbines to offshore substations, as well as engineering and project management services.DeepOcean will work with Dong Fang Offshore and use the subsea vessel Orient Adventurer, which has been upgraded with new remotely operated vehicles, an under-deck carousel and a cable lay system.“We look forward to working together with Dong Fang Offshore on this significant project.

Stillstrom, a unit of A.P. Moller - Maersk, has launched two offshore charging systems aimed at supporting vessel electrification in the offshore wind sector.The new solutions, Power Hub and Power Tower, are designed as standalone systems that can be deployed independently of wind turbine infrastructure, enabling flexible charging options for vessels operating at sea.The systems are based on monopile designs and target one of the key challenges in offshore wind operations - the reliable supply of electric power for service vessels used in installation…

China-based offshore wind foundations manufacturer Dajin Heavy Industry has launched a 40,000 DWT deck carrier, KING TWO, at its Panjin shipbuilding facility.The vessel, launched on April 19, is the second large-scale deck carrier built at the facility, following KING ONE, which has already completed its maiden voyage.KING TWO measures 239.8 meters in length, 51 meters in breadth and 13 meters in depth, with a deck area of 12,000 square meters.The vessel is equipped with dual engines and dual propellers…

A Massachusetts judge on Friday blocked GE Vernova from abandoning work on the largest offshore wind farm in New England after developer Vineyard Wind refused to pay over $300 million the turbine supplier says it is owed for the $4.5 billion project.Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp in Boston issued a preliminary injunction at developer Vineyard Wind's request preventing a GE Vernova unit from terminating their contract and ceasing work effective April 28."The project…

LD TravOcean, a subsidiary of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) Group, has acquired a DP2 multipurpose support vessel as part of efforts to expand its subsea capabilities.The vessel, SIDDIS Mariner, will be renamed TVO Mariner and is scheduled for delivery in summer 2026.The company said the acquisition is aimed at enabling the delivery of integrated subsea solutions combining vessel operations, equipment and expertise.The vessel will support activities including telecom cable work…