Renewable Energy Sector News

TDI-Brooks' latest dynamic positioning vessel, the RV Nautilus, has reached the shores of the East Coast of the United States ahead of work for offshore wind sector.After undergoing a six-month retrofit in Las Palmas, the 2000-built vessel will be put to work to provide support for offshore wind projects and various other subsea needs.With the length of 75-meters, the DP2 vessel is equipped with advanced technology, including a Geomil Manta-200 CPT that can be deployed through the mid-ship moonpool.The system can penetrate the soil up to 40-50 meters…

Glasgow-headquartered subsea specialist Sulmara has signed a three-year deal with Atlantic Offshore to charter the DP II multi-purpose support vessel Ocean Marlin, that will undergo substantial refitting to accommodate the needs of renewable energy sector.As part of the contract, Sulmara, who earlier in February announced the signing of a Master Service Agreement with Asso.subsea, will undertake a substantial refit of the emergency response rescue vessel (ERRV) to transform it for use in the renewables sector.The refit will include the installation of class-leading survey equipment…

DNV secured partners to launch a new project to enhance technology development and prepare for scale/industrialization of concrete substructures for floating offshore wind.The new Joint Industry Project (JIP) called Concrete FLOW will optimize requirements for concrete floaters (floating or semisubmersible structures, generally moored to the seabed, used as foundations upon which equipment can be mounted), specifically tailored for floating offshore wind farms.At the kick-off…

New York State will issue a new offshore wind solicitation on Nov. 30 with bids due in January 2024, the state government said, in a move that should support the troubled industry. European energy companies Orsted, Equinor, and BP have taken a combined $5 billion of writedowns on U.S. offshore wind projects that are not even completed, in part because their existing power sales contracts would not cover the cost of building and financing the projects. That is because soaring inflation, rising interest rates, and supply chain problems have led to much higher costs than anticipated.

Norwegian energy industry giant Equinor has appointed of Samuel Byrne as Vice President of Operations at Equinor Renewables Americas to lead Equinor's offshore wind operations in the U.S.Bryne most recently served as Vice President responsible for Operations & Maintenance at maker Vestas Wind Systems in Asia-Pacific for both onshore and offshore wind farms, as well as solar and battery storage sites. His responsibilities covered 13 countries and approximately 15GW of wind farms either in operations or being commissioned…

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) said it has started offering its Global Wind Organization Basic Technical Training (GWO BTT) course to community members, opening the door to those on Martha’s Vineyard interested in a potential career in the offshore wind industry.Massachusetts Maritime Academy is one of the first institutions in the Northeast to offer this type of training. The goal is to help broaden the landscape of local job opportunities in the fast-emerging offshore…

Offshore crew transfer company Windcat said Tuesday it had ordered two hydrogen-powered Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (“CSOVs”) from the Dutch company Damen Shipyards, with options for further vessels.The “Elevation Series” CSOVs have been designed by Damen Shipyards in cooperation with Windcat and CMB.TECH. The hydrogen-powered vessels will be 87 m long, 20 m wide, can accommodate 120 people on board. The first delivery is expected in 2025. Financial details were not disclosed.The CSOVs will be built at Ha Long Shipyard…

Crowley has appointed Bob Karl as senior vice president and general manager of the company’s new business unit, Crowley Wind Services. As Crowley elevates the scope of its offerings in wind energy, Karl will lead the company’s wind services team in the strategic development and expansion of services to support the emerging sector. The development of a wind service business unit will see the company continue to leverage its expertise and assets to provide landside and marine logistic solutions throughout the wind lifecycle.

Dutch offshore gangway supplier Ampelmann has secured its first contract in the U.S. offshore wind market.Under the contract, Ampelmann will supply its E1000 motion compensated system to the marine transportation and towing company Otto Candies to facilitate operations during the construction of the South Fork, Revolution, and Sunrise wind farms - three commercial-scale wind farms in the north-east US Atlantic. "This marks an important turning point for the company and will see the introduction of Walk to Work (W2W) to the American renewable energy sector…

Offshore services provider Aqueos Corporation is moving into its new office facility in Boston to support the growing offshore wind industry in the U.S. Northeast.Broussard, La.-based Aqueos has primarily provided marine construction, commercial diving, ROV and vessel contracting services for offshore oil and gas, but in 2020 the company identified the demand to expand its operating lines to include the offshore renewable energy sector.Walter Aguilar, Aqueos' vice president of civil…

British aluminum shipbuilder The Wight Shipyard Co. on Tuesday announced an all-share merger with France-based shipbuilder OCEA to create a combined group aiming to capitalize on the fast ferry and offshore renewable energy markets opportunities. The deal is scheduled to complete by March 2022 and will see The Wight Shipyard Co. nearly double in size.Peter Morton, CEO of The Wight Shipyard Co., said, “This is a transformational deal for The Wight Shipyard Co. and for the Isle of Wight, confirming the resurgence of the shipbuilding industry in the United Kingdom.

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries is joining the offshore wind industry through the development of an independent offshore wind floater model able to operate in extreme marine environments.The company said Monday it had received Approval in Principle (AiP) for its 9.5-MW large-scale offshore wind floater model, Tri-Star Float from the Norwegian classification society DNV."Removing a pontoon, a steel-frame structure supporting wind generator on the sea, its compact design will help dramatically shortening construction period from design and transportation to installation…

Norwegian offshore wind vessel owner Edda Wind has ordered two additional Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOV), as it expects long-term growth for the renewable energy sector. The company is also set for an initial public offering, which is aimed at helping finance its growth.The company, owned by Wilhelmsen and Østensjø, and which owns and operates service vessels supporting the maintenance work conducted during the commissioning and operation of offshore wind farms…

As attention increasingly turns to ocean health and sustainability, an innovative new fish farm solution was deployed earlier this year when the De Maas’ Semi-submersible Spar Fish Farm (SSFF) became the world’s first offshore farm installed at an open ocean location exposed to tropical storms. MTR recently visited – virtually – with co-founder Philip Schreven for insight on the design and operation particulars of their innovation.How did you became involved in this unique niche of the maritime industry?Mark van Leeuwen and I founded De Maas in 2007 as an offshore oil and gas services company.

By the time this article is published, voting will have concluded in the 2020 United States presidential election. Based on the possibility of legal challenges to the election, however, it may be some time before we know who will be occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on January 20, 2021. Additional uncertainty may linger with regard to control of the Senate. However, beyond the general spectacle of American politics, an important question remains: What does this election mean for the U.S.

Former Telenor CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas has been appointed as DNV GL’s new chair of the board, the Norwegian-headquartered classification society announced.Best known for his 13-year tenure as president and CEO of the telecoms firm, Baksaas started his career with DNV (as it was then known) and spent six years at the company before leaving in 1985. He has also served as member of the DNV Council for 12 years.“DNV GL is a company that is well positioned to take a role as a trusted voice to tackle the global transformations the world is facing.

What will COVID-19 mean for the offshore wind industry? An industry not yet spinning on its own.Epitomized by the roller coaster ride that defined the stock market over the last few weeks, unpredictability has emerged as one of the few certainties of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. Every industry has seen the effects of the pandemic, from hospitality, to travel, and even to the renewable energy sector. Indeed, even though the US offshore wind industry is not yet fully established…

The global ship repair, conversion and fabrication specialist A&P Group is now using 100% renewable energy across all three of its facilities as it aims to improve its green credentials and meet Government targets.The UK-based A&P Group with three shipyards located in Hebburn, Middlesbrough and Falmouth said it is committed to improving the sustainability of its services and reducing carbon emissions to ensure it meets UK Government’s legal requirement of bringing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.A&P Group’s decision to buy its energy from Haven Power, a company which only supplies energy from a renewable source, is the latest measure to help achieve this goal…

Six months after the offshore installation vessel Voltaire, Jan De Nul Group orders Les Alizés, a floating installation crane vessel from the CMHI Haimen shipyard in China.Together with the Voltaire, this new vessel will be in a super-size class of its own, capable of building the newest generation of offshore wind farms. Les Alizés, that will be ready in 2022, is equipped with a crane having a lifting capacity of 5,000 tons and equally impressive lifting heights. Les Alizés will be able to load out, transport and install multiple units of the largest and heaviest wind turbine foundations.

The secretary-general and chief executive of BIMCO, Angus Frew  is stepping down for personal reasons. BIMCO expects have found a replacement by the end of this year.Angus Frew has announced he will step down in the summer of 2020, as he wishes to spend more time in the UK and less time working.“In six successful years, Angus has moved BIMCO to the forefront of the shipping industry and made sure our members’ opinions and positions are listened to at the highest levels of government. He will leave an organisation very well prepared to deal with the challenges the industry will face in the coming years,” says Sadan Kaptanoglu, President of BIMCO.Under Angus Frew’s leadership, BIMCO has strengthened its brand and member focus significantly.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA (SGRE) has secured a deal to supply 4.X turbines for a 200MW wind farm in China, its first contract for the platform in the market.The Spanish-German group will deliver 42 machines rated at 4.8MW to the project developed by Xinjiang TBEA Group in Xinjiang, northwest China. The company will also provide operation and maintenance services for five years.This is the second order that SGRE has received from TBEA, strengthening the partnership between both companies. The 200 MW wind farm is located in the city of Changji, in the region of Xinjiang, northwest China.The Siemens Gamesa 4.X platform, with its 145 metres rotor variant…

Port of Blyth, one of the UK’s leading offshore energy support hubs, and its partner, Energy Central, has supported the announcement from the UK Government of a 10-week consultation on its ‘freeports vision’.The Port of Blyth and businesses working on the estuary could benefit from the establishment of UK Freeports and recognizes the potential benefits of a free trade zone could bring to the region, particularly given the development of Energy Central in Blyth.Designed to create the perfect environment for inward investment from the offshore and renewable energy sector, Energy Central is a unique partnership between the Port, Northumberland County Council…

London-based multinational law firm Linklaters has advised Green Investment Group (GIG) on the acquisition of a 40% stake in Iberdrola’s Scottish Power Renewables’ 714MW East Anglia One offshore wind farm.Once commissioned in 2020, it will be one of the world’s largest wind farms, said a note from the British law firm."This transaction is the first partnership between GIG and Iberdrola’s Scottish Power Renewables subsidiary in the UK and brings the total capacity of UK offshore wind supported by GIG to over 5.7GW across 14 projects. This is the equivalent to almost 50% of the total UK offshore wind farm capacity in operations or under construction…