Russian Antarctic Vessel Docks in South Africa as Green Groups Protest
A Russian research vessel which has been prospecting for oil and natural gas in the Antarctic docked in South Africa on Saturday following protests by green campaigners who say its operations in the region violate a treaty banning mineral exploration.Several members of the Extinction Rebellion environmental group held banners reading "Hands off Antarctica" as the polar explorer ship Akademik Alexander Karpinsky arrived as scheduled in Cape Town's port during the morning.Earlier this week, several dozen protesters from Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion demonstrated at the port, saying
Norway Finds 'Substantial' Mineral Resources on Its Seabed
found a "substantial" amount of metals and minerals ranging from copper to rare earth metals on the seabed of its extended continental shelf, authorities said on Friday in their first official estimates. The Nordic country, a major oil and gas exporter, is considering whether to open its offshore areas to deep-sea mining, a process that requires parliament's approval and has sparked environmental concerns. "Of the metals found on the seabed in the study area, magnesium, niobium, cobalt, and rare earth minerals are found on the European Commission's list of critical minerals
Subsea Infrastructure Power Looks at Renewables
Using renewable energy to power critical subsea infrastructure needs power management. It’s a capability Verlume will soon be proving off the Orkney Islands – and Hawaii.Integrating offshore renewables into offshore operations has become a major goal for oil and gas companies. A remote power supply could improve project economics for long step-outs, where they replace long power cables. Powering facilities from a nearby offshore wind park could help reduce the carbon intensity of oil and gas production. But how do you balance that power – ride out intermittency – to provide a
First Sea Cable Installed for TenneT's West Alpha Offshore Substation
Jan de Nul Group and LS Cable & System have completed the installation of the first sea cable for West Alpha offshore wind substation for Dutch grid operator TenneT. The offshore installation contractors used the cable-laying vessel Connector and the remote-controlled cable-laying vehicle UTV1200 for the operation.Over sixty kilometers of cable were laid in the seabed between the Heemskerk beach on the Dutch coast and the jacket foundation of the transformer platform at sea.With over sixty kilometers of marine cable on board, the cable-laying vessel Connector from contractor Jan de
Norwegian Marine Seismic Player Enters Offshore Wind Market
Norwegian company PGS, best known for its seismic survey services in the offshore oil and gas sector, said Wednesday it had scored its first offshore wind contract. The company said it had secured its first ultra-high resolution offshore wind farm site characterization project, marking its debut in "a strategically important new energy market.""PGS New Energy offers solutions to the ongoing energy transition by building on the subsurface and operational expertise of PGS’ employees and using the company’s assets. PGS aims to develop New Energy into a significant
PGS to Conduct 4D Surveys on Gullfaks and Gudrun Fields for Equinor
Norwegian energy giant Equinor has exercised an option to extend the framework agreement with the seismic company PGS, originally entered into in March 2021. The extension is valid for two years.The two-year framework agreement covers 4D monitoring surveys on the Norwegian and the UK continental shelf. As a part of the agreement, Equinor has two 2-year options, of which one option, has now been exercised.As part of the current agreement, PGS will acquire a 4D survey over the Gullfaks field and a 4D survey over the Gudrun field during the 2023 summer season."An important part of our strategy is to
Rovco Expands Offshore Capabilities with Glomar Supporter Charter
Rovco, a UK-based subsea robotics and survey firm, has signed a three-year charter with Glomar Offshoreof the multipurpose support vessel, Glomar Supporter.The company said the charter was part of its growth strategy within its site characterizing business unit, and market a significant expansion of the company’s offshore hydrographic, geophysical, and shallow geotechnical survey capabilities."Responding to high client demand amid a rapidly growing offshore wind market, Rovco, working in collaboration with Glomar and marine design consultants, Medea, will reconfigure the vessel to permanently
Hellenic Cables to Boost Subsea Cable Production Capacity with $86M Investment
neighboring property with a total area of 43,000 square meters, it said Friday."With this investment, Hellenic Cables will enhance the existing center of manufacturing excellence for a wide range of subsea cables, from medium voltage up to extra-high voltage ones needed in fast-growing markets like offshore wind, subsea interconnections, and power-from-shore," the company added.Offshore Wind: Hellenic Cables Hires Asso.Subsea for Cable Installation in GermanyAccording to Hellenic Cables, renewables are projected to lead this effort in the foreseeable future, with most of their growth expected
Swift Anchors Looking to Expand Engineering Team
Swift Anchors, a UK-based company that develops anchoring solutions for the global offshore energy (floating wind, floating solar, tidal and wave) and aquaculture industries, is looking for new engineers to join its team. The company said that the need to has been spurred by its current work program and a growing commercial interest in its technologies. The company plans to more than double its workforce during 2023.Swift Anchors, acquired by Schottel last year, is currently working on marine energy projects on both sides of the Atlantic, and is pursuing a number of other project opportunities
Fugro Wins Survey Deal for Gas Field Project Offshore Brunei
Dutch offshore survey firm Fugro said Wednesday it had received a "sizeable" contract from Petronas Carigali Brunei, for the Kelidang Cluster gas field development project.Under the contract, Fugro will carry out various site characterization surveys to support the front-end engineering design for offshore production facilities and the pipelines to prospective buyers onshore. A geotechnical drill and autonomous underwater vehicles will be used, among other things, to collect geotechnical and geophysical data. The majority of the work will be executed during 2023 in different phases.
Kraken Update Progress on Subsea Laser Scanner Service Activities
Kraken Robotics' SeaVision 3D underwater laser scanning technology is primarily used in assisting the offshore energy sector to acquire quality subsea asset integrity information. Specific examples include providing measurements to help clients avoid unscheduled interruption of production and enabling reverse engineering of damaged subsea equipment to enable repairs in-place. During several recent offshore deployments, Kraken’s SeaVision technology has shown that as-built 3D dimensions of installed subsea structures differ from their existing documentation, especially when servicing
Tidal Energy Firm Minesto Tapped for Site Development Services in Asia
Tidal energy technology company Minesto said Friday it had received its first historic sales order for site development services,.The order includes Minesto's Dragon Class tidal energy powerplants and comes from an unnamed "major corporation in the Asian offshore energy sector.""Minesto has been contracted to support a leading Asian corporation in the offshore energy sector for the evaluation of a tidal-current site targeting the deployment of Minesto Dragon Class tidal energy powerplants. The work is planned to be completed in the first quarter of 2023 and has an initial
Marine Robotics Tech Firm GreenSea Systems Starts Off 2023 with Key New Hires
during Kerson’s deployment from day one.”Greensea said its Program Managers are responsible for the timely and accurate delivery of technology to Greensea’s customers and are committed to advancing the technology of ocean robotics across the full landscape of commercial marine, offshore energy, ocean scientific shipping and maritime industries
National Subsea Centre Opens in Dyce, UK
The National Subsea Centre (NSC), a center of excellence for subsea research and technology development, has been officially opened today in Dyce, Aberdeen.The center was opened byMichael Matheson, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport and UK Government Minister for Scotland, Malcolm Offord.The multi-million-pound center has been developed through a partnership between Robert Gordon University (RGU) and Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal (ACRD).Its goal is to provide advanced research to accelerate the transition to net zero
Grandeur Subserv Acquires Gaps M5 USBL for Shallow Water Ops
Grandeur Subserv Ltd., a company specializing in underwater and environmental engineering services, recently acquired Exail Gaps M5 USBL system for shallow water geophysical surveys on the Nigerian coast. Looking for an agnostic acoustic positioning system compatible with third-party transponders and capable of accurately tracking any asset in very shallow water, the Gaps M5 USBL system was recommended.“As part of a survey to determine the location of pipelines or hazards that could impede drilling on the Escravos field, we have to track sensors in water depths ranging from 8 to 100 m, which is
Offshore Services Firm Acteon Names Bruggaier as New CEO
Offshore energy industry services company Acteon Group Ltd has appointed Dr Bernhard Bruggaier as Group Chief Executive. He succeeded Dr Carl Trowell, effective from January 1, 2023.Bruggaier joined Acteon’s subsidiary MENCK in 1994, became its Managing Director in 1998, and joined Acteon’s executive management team following the acquisition of MENCK in 2003. After that, Bruggaier served in various senior strategic and operational management roles before being appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2018 and joining Acteon’s Board of Directors in 2021.Chairman of the Board
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate Awards Seabed Mapping Contracts for Offshore Wind
Fugro and Enviros have secured contracts with the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) for mapping of the shallowest strata under the seabed offshore Norway, with the objective of locating sites that are best suited for the installation of wind turbines.Fugro has won the contract for the Sørlig Nordsjø II area, while Enviros will map Utsira Nord. The Fugro Searcher and the Kommandor Iona vessels will be used for the seabed mapping work.The companies will acquire seven different measurements.Geophysicist Lars Jensen, who is managing the project for the NPD said: "MBES (multibeam
New Contracts for Tekmar's Pipeshield, Subsea Innovation
Offshore services firm Tekmar Group said Tuesday that its group companies Pipeshield International Limited and Subsea Innovation Limited had secured several significant contracts.According to Tekmar, Pipeshield International Limited has won multiple contracts from an offshore EPC contractor to provide pipeline support and protection materials for major subsea construction projects in the Middle East. The combined value of the projects is over £8 million ($9,74 million), with delivery expected in the first half of 2023. The contracts include the design, manufacturing, and supply of
Offshore Wind: Hellenic Cables Hires Asso.Subsea for Cable Installation in Germany
Hellenic Cables has hired the offshore installation company Asso.subsea to move, install, and protect the 220 kV export subsea cable system that will connect the Windanker offshore wind farm to the German extra-high voltage transmission grid.The overall system will consist of one export cable, which will be more than 100 km long in total, to be installed along a submarine route characterized by numerous technical challenges, including shallow water areas, landfall pull-in through a 900 m long HDD conduit, boulder fields, numerous crossings, and soil conditions varying from very soft to hard soils.Asso.
The Top 10 Offshore Wind Energy Trends to Watch in 2023
The drivers for global offshore wind growth look good for 2023. Global offshore wind is forecast to grow from over 60 GW at the end of 2022 to 240 GW by 2030 and over 410 GW by 2035. But the sunny outlook must be balanced with some building dark clouds. As we prepare for the new year, let us look at ten factors that will shape the offshore wind sector in 2023.1. Solid foundations: Optimism for the supply chain is founded on declared and inferred offshore wind deployment targets by a growing number of countries of over 400 GW, driven by energy transition and energy security policies.2. New kids on
Allspeeds Delivers 'Largest' Webtool Cutter to Ashtead Technology
Ashtead Technology.According to the company, this is the largest Webtool cutter manufactured so far, and is designed to cut large diameter umbilicals and subsea power cables up to 330mm.It will add to the fleet of high-performing subsea cutting technologies that Ashtead Technology already has for the offshore energy sector."Advances in subsea power cables mean they are now larger in diameter and better armored. The Webtool HCV330 allow the cables to be cut cleanly in a single guillotine cutting action. It can be either attached to a work-class ROV for subsea operations, or deck mounted on a vessel
Iberdrola to Install its First-ever Floating Solar Plant in Brazil
Spanish renewable energy company Iberdrola has chosen Brazil as a place where it plans to install its first ever floating solar plant.The project will be built on the water surface of the Xaréu dam on the island of Fernando de Noronha, recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site.This initiative is carried out together with Companhia Pernambucana de Saneamento (Compesa), which operates the water and sewage distribution network throughout the island, and with the support of the Energy Efficiency Programme regulated by the Brazilian National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel).With an output
Brazil: TGS, CGG in Foz do Amazonas 3D Survey
Offshore seismic data companies TGS and CGG on Wednesday announced the second phase of the Foz do Amazonas 3D multi-client survey, located in the offshore Brazil equatorial margin. This survey, covering 11,425 square kilometers, will broaden the region's 3D coverage and deliver additional high-quality data essential for the exploration efforts in the basin, the companies said.According to a statement by TGS, existing 2D data and adjacent 3D data indicate the presence of reservoir depositional fairways in this location which overlies a source interval contemporaneous with the Guyana Basin
2023 Outlook: The Offshore Service Vessel Market
The market for offshore support vessels has been through a rather rough few years since offshore exploration and production activity took a nose-dive in 2015 following the oil price crash the year before.The newbuild order boom that came with the ever-greener pastures imagined in the industry ensured that not only was the supply- and demand balance off by an insurmountable degree in the years that followed, but at its peak, in 2017, the oversupply of anchor handling tug supply- and platform supply vessels was in excess of 30% more units than the market required at its all-time high demand!And
Tech File: A Robotic Reach in Offshore Wind
With a background in subsea and offshore, coming up with new ideas is the norm’ for UK-based engineering consultancy STL (Submarine Technology Limited), writes Elaine Maslin.The last few years have been no different. The company has been focusing on ship-based robotics, including robotic arms. These aren’t just any robotic arms – they’re motion compensated systems for deploying/recovering people and robots to and from fixed or moving objects. That could be wind technicians to an offshore wind turbine or an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in and out of the water – all
DEME Offshore Taps Tekmar for Dogger Bank C Cable Protection Systems
Tekmar Group will supply Cable Protection Systems (CPS) for the Dogger Bank C offshore wind farm in the UK, under a contract with offshore installation firm DEME Offshore.This follows the existing contract with EPCI contractor DEME Offshore to supply 380 CPS to protect subsea array cables on Dogger Bank A and B project phases. Under the scope of the Dogger Bank C phase, the company will design, manufacture, and supply a further 172 CPS."The combined contract value across the Dogger Bank Wind Farm represents Tekmar's largest CPS supply contract to date," the company said without
CGG, TGS Win OBN Seismic Survey Work Offshore Norway
Seismic data acquisition and processing companies CGG and TGS have together secured a contract for the acquisition and imaging of a dense ocean bottom node (OBN) multi-client seismic survey in the Sleipner Area of the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The Sleipner OBN survey, located directly south of the Utsira OBN in the North Sea, will span an additional 1,201 square kilometer area under receivers (AUR) to increase the contiguous multi-client OBN coverage in the region to 3,278 square kilometers AUR, CGG said.The survey area covers a mature part of the North Sea that includes the Sleipner
Tidal Energy: Minesto Doubling Electricity Production Capacity of its Faroe Islands Site
Tidal energy developer Minesto said Thursday it had installed additional offshore infrastructure in Vestmannasund, Faroe Islands, to double electricity production from two Dragon 4 (100kW) tidal energy power plants in an array set-up.The company, which harnesses tidal energy using its tidal kites, said that a second foundation, subsea cable, and onshore interface have been successfully installed, and the subsea infrastructure is ready for a second kite installation and electricity production, Minesto said.Foundation loadout, Holyhead, Wales ©Minesto"The installations have been
Norwegian Government Backs Project to Develop Offshore Charging Solutions
The Norwegian government awarded Maritime CleanTech partner Vard Group and the Ocean Charger project partners 38 million NOK (approx. US$3.9 million) for the development of offshore charging solutions that would support zero-emissions operations at offshore wind farms.The Norwegian support scheme (The Green Platform Initiative) aims to accelerate the growth of green businesses in Norway. Today, Norwegian Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Jan Christian Vestre, launched the new project at a press conference in Oslo. "We are carrying out the largest restructuring of the Norwegian
Norwegian Subsea Firm Gets $2M Loan
The Norwegian autonomous underwater vehicle provider Argeo has been granted a loan of NOK 20 million (~$2 million) from Innovation Norway.Argeo said the yield is 6,2%, the duration is six years, and the loan is on certain conditions. Trond Crantz, CEO of Argeo, Argeo said: "We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with Innovation Norway. Innovation Norway has played an important role for Argeo since its inception, and it is great to see that we are able to continue our relationship as Argeo continues its expansion internationally. "We have an increasing amount of exciting
How Do Floating Wind Turbines Work?
Northern California has some of the strongest offshore winds in the U.S., with immense potential to produce clean energy. But it also has a problem. Its continental shelf drops off quickly, making building traditional wind turbines directly on the seafloor costly if not impossible.Once water gets more than about 200 feet deep – roughly the height of an 18-story building – these “monopile” structures are pretty much out of the question.A solution has emerged that’s being tested in several locations around the world: wind turbines that float.In California, where drought has
Radix Creates Virtual FPSO Training Environment to Reduce Commissioning Phase Risks
Brazil-based Radix Software and Engineering said Monday it had created a virtual FPSO training environment for a major operator with the goal of reducing risk in the asset commissioning phase by training operators in process optimization and validation of operational manuals."The performance of professionals involved in the commissioning and operation of industrial units - specifically an FPSO - has been significantly impacted by the increased complexity of its units, equipment, and control systems. With this, the risk of deviations in the execution of operational activities such as start-ups and
Proserv Secures SMS as Sampling Representative in Malaysia
Controls technology company Proserv said it has signed an agreement with Aberdeen-based sand and erosion monitoring, analytics and management experts SMS. The deal sees SMS become the exclusive agent and representative for Proserv’s sampling activities across Malaysia.According to Proserv, its combined offering with SMS will give clients a step change in the visibility of the condition and integrity of flowlines and, through the live measurement of sand quantities, will allow operators to make informed early strategy decisions around production rates, maintenance planning and ultimately the
Triton Anchor Secures Funds to Speed Up Development of Anchoring System for Floating Wind
Triton Anchor, a developer of an anchoring solution for the floating offshore wind industry, announced on Wednesday the closing of its initial funding round. The funds will be used to accelerate platform development as the company scales its products from prototype to general release, expands market outreach, and grows its team, Triton Anchor said.“Floating offshore wind is at a worldwide inflection point. Component efficiency and industrialization are the keys to a rapid increase in green energy output.” said Tyson Lawrence, CEO of Triton Anchor. Zach Miller, Triton Anchor CTO
Havfram Subsea Names UK Managing Director
.Over the last 10 years, Scott has held commercial and leadership roles within the Havfram organization, and as Managing Director (UK) he will assume responsibility for delivering the Havfram Subsea strategy in the UK as the organization transitions into an independent company following the sale of the offshore wind business last month.Kevin Murphy, CEO Havfram Subsea, said: “We are incredibly pleased that Gregor has agreed to take on the Managing Director’s role in the UK at such an exciting time. Having been with the company for a decade, he fully understands the business and the ethos behind
Ashtead Technology Buys Hiretech
UK-based subsea equipment rental and solutions company Ashtead Technology has acquired Aberdeenshire-based Hiretech. Hiretech is an equipment rental, service, and maintenance company serving the international offshore renewables, decommissioning, and conventional energy markets. It was established in 2011."Through its multi-purpose fleet of marine and subsea equipment rental assets and skilled personnel, [Hiretech] the business boasts an excellent offshore renewables and decommissioning-focused support services offering, which [Ashtead Technology] will seek to leverage to meet growing global
Kongsberg Maritime to Deliver Tech & Equipment for Cadeler's Second WTFIV
Norwegian maritime technology and equipment specialist Kongsberg Maritime AS will provide technology and engineering for a second F-class wind turbine and foundation installation vessel (WTFIV) recently ordered by the Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler.This is the fourth Cadeler offshore installation vessel for which Kongsberg Maritime AS will supply its technology. When completed, the new F-class vessel is expected to be one of the world’s largest offshore wind installation vessels."Kongsberg Maritime’s integrated solutions for offshore installation vessels will
BOEM and NOAA Announce Joint Strategy for Fisheries Surveys
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries will work together to address potential impacts of offshore wind energy development on NOAA Fisheries’ scientific surveys, which help to manage the United States’s fisheries.For 150 years, the NOAA’s scientists have collected survey data that form the basis of the science-based management of America’s federal fisheries, support the protection and recovery of marine mammals and endangered and threatened species, and increase understanding and conservation of
Offshore Wind: CrossWind Taps KBR for Energy Storage Project
KBR has won a contract to provide engineering services for an offshore energy storage project for CrossWind, a joint venture (JV) between Shell and Dutch utility company, Eneco.KBR will perform a front-end engineering design of the baseload power hub (BLPH) for the Hollandse Kust (north) wind farm located offshore the Netherlands."KBR and Shell will design and develop facilities that integrate lithium-ion battery storage and green hydrogen electrolysis production at megawatt scale," KBR said.The design will enable hydrogen production and electricity storage in periods of high-power production
UK: ORE Catapult, NZTC Team Up to Help Power Oil & Gas Platforms with Floating Wind
The UK-based Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and the Net Zero Technology Centre said Thursday they'd examine potential pathways for the delivery of innovative floating offshore wind technology integrated with existing energy infrastructure, as part of their five year collaboration under the Energy Transition Alliance banner.According to the partners, the WINTOG program will drive collaboration across energy technologies to foster innovative opportunities for floating offshore wind developments, specifically those linked to the current Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing
A Robotic Reach in Offshore Wind
With a background in subsea and offshore, coming up with new ideas is the norm for UK-based engineering consultancy STL (Submarine Technology Limited), writes Elaine Maslin.The last few years have been no different. The company has been focusing on ship-based robotics, including robotic arms. These aren’t just any robotic arms – they’re motion-compensated systems for deploying/recovering people and robots to and from fixed or moving objects.That could be wind technicians to an offshore wind turbine or an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in and out of the water – all with a
Balmoral's Large-scale Composite Manufacturing Plant in Montrose Port Now Operational
at its new advanced composites facility at Montrose Port.The company said it had invested a "seven-figure sum" in the 18,299 sq.ft (1700 sq.m) quayside facility where large scale composite components such as subsea and wellhead protection, wave energy structures, and manifold covers for the offshore energy sector will be built.Balmoral Comtec said the investment would help it service the offshore industries more effectively "as it strengthens its commitment to the wind, wave and tidal energy sectors."While Balmoral already provides protection products (fatigue, impact and abrasion)
Reach Subsea to Add Two ROV Support Vessels to Its Fleet
Norwegian subsea services company Reach Subsea said Thursday it had struck a deal to expand its operating fleet with two ROV support vessels.The company said it had secured "significant vessel capacity for the coming four years" through a deal to buy the multipurpose ROV support vessel Edda Sun for $29 million and through a charter contract for the multipurpose ROV support vessel Go Electra with a duration, including options, through 2027."With the favorable terms on the two new vessels, and the existing charters of Havila Subsea and Deep Cygnus, Reach Subsea now has a long-term core
Wales’ Marine Test Center Expands Its Capabilities
Wales’ national marine test center, META, said Thursday it has upgraded its Marine License, so it can now accommodate more tidal turbines and larger mooring spreads, after successfully upgrading its Marine License. As the project moves into a new tranche of funding from the Swansea Bay City Deal, part of the Pembroke Dock Marine Project, one of the key objectives is broadening the testing capabilities for the open water sites to meet the needs of the evolving industry and wider blue economy, META said."Working with a local team from leading environmental consultancy, Marine Space
Pryme Group Launches Specialist Tooling Systems for Offshore Wind Installation
Engineering firm Pryme Group said Wednesday it had launched two specialist tooling systems - Pile Fixation Tool (PFT) and PileProp - for offshore wind installations, via Caley Ocean Systems. The company said the tools were designed to support the installation of monopile and jacket foundations for offshore wind, by providing a localized, rigid deflection constraint - and in the case of the PileProp system - independent of vessel interaction or station - before the critical grouting process of securing the foundations.Pyme Group described the Pile Fixation Tool as a monopile foundation installation
Autonomous OBN Seismic Survey Robots Could Enter Commercial Operation in 2024
Blue Ocean Monitoring, the UK/Australian tech company Blue Ocean Seismic Services is developing the world’s first fleet of autonomous low-impact subsea nodes. According to the company, the technology will capture high-quality seismic data from the ocean floor for multiple applications such as offshore wind, oil and gas, and CCS. "These underwater vehicles will transform the offshore seismic sector to become more affordable, faster, safer, more environmentally friendly and significantly less carbon intensive," Blue Ocean Seismic Services said.The company has recently undertaken
Offshore Wind: Fugro Wins Geotechnical Survey Gig in Denmark
Dutch offshore survey services firm Fugro has secured a contract with the Danish grid operator Energinet for geotechnical site investigations for the North Sea I offshore wind development.The Danish government plans to expand offshore wind capacity by 4GW by 2030, and the geodata acquired by Fugro will be used to inform future bids in the area. "This award follows Fugro’s success working on the North Sea Energy Islands project for Energinet throughout 2022, a project that is the first of its kind," Fugro said."Fugro’s geodata will provide crucial insights on the seabed
AIS Buys CRP Subsea
UK-based AIS has acquired its compatriot CRP Subsea (ex-Trelleborg Offshore UK) to expand its subsea offering.CRP Subsea specializes in polymer and syntactic foam-based buoyancy and protection products for the offshore renewables and oil and gas industries."With solutions such as buoyancy, floats, and bend protection, [CRP Subsea's ] range will complement and expand AIS' current subsea offerings that include cable protection, distributed buoyancy modules, insulation solutions, and our range of AIS Bardot and Manuplas products," AIS said."The acquisition will significantly
SolarDuck to Build 5MW Floating Solar Plant Next to RWE's Wind Farm in Dutch North Sea
Dutch-Norwegian floating solar farm developer SolarDuck said Friday it would build the world´s largest hybrid offshore floating solar power plant at the offshore wind farm Hollandse Kust West VII in the Netherlands, following the winning bid of RWE´s subsidiary Oranje Wind Power II.SolarDuck will build a 5MW demonstrator with integrated energy storage solutions.Following the collaboration agreement signed between SolarDuck and RWE in July this year, SolarDuck was selected as the exclusive provider for offshore floating solar (´OFS´) technology with integrated energy storage in
TDI-Brooks Wraps Geotechnical Project at Black Sea Gas Pipeline Project
;performing surface geochemical “seep-hunting” (SGE) and seabed heat flow surveys (HF).Turkey's national oil company TPAO, using the Fatih drillship, in 2020 found 405 bcm of natural gas in the western Black Sea region's Sakarya field, in what was the country's biggest ever offshore discovery
Nord Stream Operator Gets OK to Survey Seabed in Danish Waters
Nord Stream AG, the operator of the ruptured Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, has been granted permission to survey an area in Danish waters, the Danish Geodata Agency told Reuters on Thursday.The operator has already sent a chartered ship to waters off the coast of Sweden to inspect the damage on the pipeline, which carries gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. Sweden and Denmark have both concluded that four leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were caused by explosions, but have not said who might be responsible. World leaders have called it an act of sabotage. The application
Rovco, HOM Partner Up for Offshore Wind Work in Japan
UK-based subsea robotic services firm Rovco, has signed an agreement with Japan's Horizon Ocean Management (HOM) for through-life subsea asset integrity and balance of plant survey solutions for the Japanese offshore wind market.HOM is a subsidiary joint venture between Japanese conglomerate Mitsui and Hokutaku, a Japan-based wind turbine maintenance company.HOM and Rovco will work together to study the Japanese offshore wind market and learn more about demand in the country. They will also create asset integrity programs to support the maintenance of critical infrastructure.The two companies'
BMT's Off-grid Project Enabling Rural Electrification in Canada
to off-grid power networks and markets across Canada and potentially globally.According to BMT, targeted plug-and-play, platform flexible-designed microgrid controllers, such as the BMT solution, have a significant impact on facilitating the microgrids’ adoption. This impact could extend to both offshore and onshore utility operators in terms of maintaining system stability during energy exchange with microgrids at their points of common coupling, BMT said."The impact of unstable energy to a remote or off-grid community can be catastrophic when critical infrastructure are interrupted for even
UK: JDR Starts Construction of $148,M Subsea Cable Manufacturing Plant
started construction of its new subsea cable manufacturing facility in Cambois, near Blyth, Northumberland, UK.The 69,000-square-meter factory will be operational by 2024. According to JDR, the £130 million ($148,7 million) project will deliver vital subsea cable manufacturing technology to the offshore wind market and is currently providing 171 local jobs for the construction phase of the project. The project is supported by the UK government as part of the BEIS Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support Scheme.According to JDR, when complete, the facility will include a new catenary
Kraken Robotics' Brazilian Subsidiary Gets $8M R&D Funding
to Kraken’s Brazilian subsidiary over a 3-year period.Under this project, Kraken will continue the development of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning software, and subsea autonomy solutions to intelligently analyze sensor data and learn how to respond to highly dynamic environments in the offshore oil and gas, wind, hydrographic, science, and defense industries."Due to customer confidentiality, further details cannot be released at this time," Kraken said.13 Robotics Ltda of Brazi
New Cloud Platform for Subsea Survey Data
systems from any manufacturer, into actionable, easily shared information and insight via the cloud.In development since the Kiel, Germany headquartered company was founded in 2019, TrueOcean’s smart marine data platform (MDP) arrives at a critical time for the wind energy, subsea survey and offshore contracting sectors, just as work begins on meeting ambitious new post-pandemic targets for increased renewable energy production capacity.Recently, the German government passed the new Wind Energy at Sea Act, a.k.a. the Easter Package, which calls for at least 30GW of energy to be produced offshore
Renewable Energy: AWS Waveswing Put to the Test
Inverness-based AWS Ocean Energy announced encouraging results from the current phase of sea trials of its wave energy device at the European Marine Energy Center (EMEC) in Orkney. In a key highlight of the scientific testing programme to date at EMEC’s Scapa Flow test site, the Waveswing wave energy converter captured average power over 10kW and peaks of 80kW, during a period of moderate wave conditions. These figures exceeded the developer’s own predictions by 20%.Other key findings underline the survivability potential of the subsea Waveswing which continued to deliver power in
Test Results Are In: Gazelle's Floating Wind Platform Design Principles Confirmed
Gazelle Wind Power, the developer of a hybrid modular floating offshore wind platform, said Thursday it had received the results of its basin model tests at the Environmental Hydraulics Institute-University of Cantabria (IHCantabria) facilities in Spain. According to Gazelle, the test report, witnessed by DNV and Safier Ingenierie, verified the feasibility of the Gazelle platform’s concept in a wide range of conditions. A prototype model of Gazelle’s platform was analyzed through a variety of assessments including surge and yaw excitation tests, wind-alone tests, wave-a
Mooring & Anchors: InterMoor Wins Floating Wind Gig in Asia
InterMoor said Thursday it had secured the engineering design scope and the transportation and installation study for two upcoming offshore floating wind farms offshore Asia. The company, a brand in Acteon’s Engineering, Moorings and Foundations Division, said that one wind farm comprised 50-80 turbines, each of 15MW capacity, totalling a capacity of 750- 1200MW, and the second wind farm had 10-20 turbines, each of 15MW capacity and with a total of 50 – 300MW capacity. "Water depth in these sites ranges from 80 meters to 140 meters. Each wind turbine platform will be moored
DOE Seeks Input on Mooring & Anchoring Systems for Floating Wind
The U.S. Department of Energy is seeking input on research needs related to floating offshore wind energy mooring and anchoring systems. For this, DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) has issued a Request for Information (RFI).Apart from input on research priorities, DOE is seeking information on state-of-the-art innovative technologies, state-of-the-practice common operations, and aspirational targets to help meet deployment goals, DOE said.DOE further said that mooring and anchoring topics of interest include technologies, methods, performance, costs, supply chain, U.S. manufacturing
Sustainable Marine Sells Swift Anchors to Schottel
. In particular, the rock anchors drive significant OPEX and CAPEX cost savings, plus wide-ranging environmental benefits compared to traditional to gravity anchors," Sustainable Marine said.Under Schottel's subsidiary Aquos, Swift Anchors will enter the floating wind and offshore aquaculture markets. Sustainable Marine will continue to distribute Swift Anchors across North America
ORE Catapult: Tidal Stream Energy Costs Could Plummet If Current Opportunity is Realized
Tidal stream energy could plummet below £80 per MWh by 2035 if current opportunity is realized, according to a recent report by the UK-based Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.The report ‘Cost Reduction Pathway of Tidal Stream Energy in the UK and France’ report, produced by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult as part of the Interreg FCE funded TIGER project, documents the global state of the tidal market, and presents a cost reduction trajectory taking tidal stream energy from its current price of £260/MWh down to £78/MWh by 2035.The report found that
Celtic Sea Floating Wind in Focus
The Celtic Sea is well positioned to maximize its position as an early hub for floating offshore wind. Still, it’s’ going to be a huge industrial challenge not unlike the oil industry faced when developing the Brents in the 1980s, today’s Floating Offshore Wind conference in Aberdeen heard.The region currently has 4-5 100MW scale projects in progress, including the TwinHub project, which received the UK’s only CFD (contract for difference – a funding mechanism) for floating offshore wind earlier this year, said Helen Donovan, senior business development manager, Energy
Ashtead Technology Appoints Christie as Head of Mechanical Solutions Business
, who is Regional Director for Ashtead Technology’s Asia Pacific region and has been with the company for over three years, also assumes the role of Head of Mechanical Solutions "as the company looks to cement its market position as a leader in IMR and decommissioning services for the global offshore energy sector."Per Ashtead, Christie has over 22 years’ subsea industry experience following a career that has seen him accumulate extensive experience of both offshore and shore based ROV and life of field operations. In his expanded role, Christie will continue to be based in Singapore
Kraken's PanGeo SubSea Completes Acoustic Corer Survey off the Dutch Coast
Kraken Robotics said that its PanGeo Subsea subsidiary completed an acoustic coring (AC) campaign for ONE-Dyas in the North Sea, the company's second AC survey at ONE-Dyas's GEMS development, supporting foundation engineering of the N05-A gas platforms.The campaign took place during the summer aboard the M/V Dina Star. PanGeo was the prime contractor for the project. The scope of work was to acquire an acoustic core at each of the 6 legs of the platform foundation, and an additional core centered on the wellhead. PanGeo high-resolution data is designed to identify geohazards such as
Bekaert Invests in Smart Mooring Solutions for Floating Wind Farms
Bridon-Bekaert Ropes Group has said it has concluded an investment and commercial partnership with TFI Marine, Dublin, Ireland, to accelerate the go-to-market of digital-enabled mooring solutions for floating offshore wind farms."As part of this strategy, Bekaert today announces an equity investment in TFI Marine (Technology from Ideas), a leading mooring innovator, which has responded to the market needs with essential, patent-protected load reduction devices for floating offshore wind and offshore fish farm mooring systems," the company said.Game-changing mooring componentAccording to the
Nord Stream Probe Finds Evidence of Detonations, Swedish Police Say
Actor Role in Nord Stream Blasts as Probable - SpiegelPutin Ally Compares Nord Stream Sabotage to CIA-backed Attacks of 1980sSweden Sends Diving Vessel to Inspect Leaking Nord Stream PipelinesNord Stream Rupture May Be Biggest Single Methane Release Ever Recorded - UNNord Stream Operator Says Three Offshore Gas Pipelines Damaged in One DayGas from Russia's Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Leaks into Baltic Se
CorPower Ocean, Maersk Supply Service Install Subsea Export Cable for Wave Energy Project in Portugal
CorPower Ocean, a Sweden-based developer of wave energy converters, and Danish offshore vessel owner Maersk Supply Service have installed a 6.2km subsea export cable off the coast of northern Portugal to energize CorPower Ocean's HiWave-5 Project.The 100-tonne cable was installed using the Maersk Achiever vessel and will provide power and data connection from an on-land substation in Aguçadoura to the wave energy demonstration site 5.5km offshore.Now connected to the national grid of Portugal, the site will initially accommodate the recently unveiled CorPower C4 Wave Energy Converter
Gazelle Wind Power Appoints CTO
Irish floating wind platform firm Gazelle Wind Power has appointed Jason Wormald, former Global Head of Innovation of Bridon-Bekaert Ropes Group, as Chief Technology Officer to lead the company’s product design and engineering."In order to realize the full potential of offshore wind and drive down costs, we have taken a different approach to the platform design, and there is nobody better to drive this technological vision than Jason,” said Gazelle CEO Jon Salazar. “Jason is one of the foremost experts on wire moorings and his track record and hands-on experience delivering
December 2022
