Vessels News

Dutch heavy lift shipping and offshore transport and installation contractor Jumbo Offshore has completed the removal of two monopiles on the Yunlin offshore wind farm in Taiwan.The Jumbo Offshore crew carried out the work by deploying its DP2 heavy lift crane vessel Fairplayer from Europe to support the onsite operations.Jumbo Offshore was awarded the contract by Yunneng Wind Power (YWPC) earlier in 2024 for the removal of monopiles at the Yunlin offshore wind farm.The contract award represented an expansion of Jumbo Offshore’s existing scope…

North Star has secured debt investment of up to $543 million (£425 million) to fuel the next phase of its European offshore wind expansion, setting the target to add 40 hybrid service operation vessels (SOVs) to its fleet by 2040.The committed financial package of $287 million (£225 million) includes term facilities from existing lender, IFM Investors, and committed capex and working capital resources from banks including ABN AMRO (sustainability co-ordinator), AIB, NAB, Royal…

Palfinger Marine, an Austrian manufacturer of hydraulic lifting, loading, and handling systems for marine applications, has been contracted to supply a major equipment package for a new cable laying vessel, under construction at Vard for Prysmian.Following the previous orders to equip cable laying vessels Leonardo da Vinci and Monna Lisa, Palfinger Marine will provide deck equipment and lifesaving appliances (LSA) for another upcoming cable laying vessel built by Vard for Prysmian.Because the vessel is the evolution of Prysmian’s previous cable layers…

DEME's new fallpipe vessel—the world's largest—was officially named Yellowstone by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, Princess of Belgium, during a ceremony in Zeebrugge on Tuesday.Originally a bulk carrier, the ship was converted at Pax Ocean Shipyards in Singapore for rock placement work in the offshore energy industry. The DP2 vessel has a payload capacity of 37,000 tonnes and features a central vertical fallpipe that is capable of operating in water depths of 600-700 meters…

FreeStar Subsea Services, a Netherlands-based company established by the merger of Vriezoo ROV Services and Mark Offshore, has acquired its first vessel and started operations.The company offers remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and survey support services with its own vessel, the SSV Navicula Star, which was recently acquired the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ).While most mid-sized subsea companies specialize in either vessel or ROV services, FreeStar’s owners…

Singaporean shipbuilder Strategic Marine has delivered two offshore wind Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) to UK-based Mainprize Offshore.The two 27-meter vessels are part of the UK-based CTV owner and operator’s ongoing fleet expansion and will add to its current fleet of 11 vessels.Scheduled for operations in European waters from July 2024 onwards, both vessels will be carrying out crew transfers in Europe.The vessels feature Supa-SWATH hull design for enhanced seakeeping with reduced…

South Korea's first domestically built geophysical exploration research vessel was commissioned during a ceremony at Pohang Yeongilman Port on May 31.The 92-meter Tamhae 3 is a fully state-funded research vessel owned by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM). The KRW 181 billion (US$132 million) newbuild replaces its 1996-built predecessor, Tamhae 2, for geophysical explorations in domestic and foreign waters, starting with Korea’s continental shelves…

Norwegian subsea services firm Reach Subsea has entered the agreement with vessel owner Havila Shipping to extend the charter for inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) vessel Havila Subsea.The contract extension is for a firm period of three years, until the end of 2027, with tow one year options.“In a rising market, maintaining strong operational control over core assets is crucial. We are witnessing ongoing positive market trends, with our order book and tender volume consistently increasing year by year…

Danish subsea cable and services firm NKT has named its second cable laying vessel (CLV) NKT Eleonora, which has been designed to run on methanol.NKT Eleonora, meaning shining light, will boost the company’s offshore cable laying capacity and will be amongst the world’s first cable laying vessels designed to run on methanol.Equipped with three turntables, NKT Eleonora will offer a power cable-laying capacity of 23,000 tonnes and host a range of subsea tooling for precise installation…

Italian offshore energy services firm Saipem has signed a long-term charter contract with Chinese state-owned port and naval machinery manufacturer ZPMC for the JSD6000, a latest generation ship for offshore heavy lifting, construction and pipelaying.The signed contract provides for the bareboat charter of the ship for a five-year duration, plus two extension options of one year each.The vessel will be delivered to Saipem in June 2024 and will become part of the company’s fleet.Equipped with a DP3 dynamic positioning system and a heavy-lift capacity of up to 5…

Damen Shipyards has delivered the third fast crew supplier (FCS) hybrid vessel to Purus, designed to provide low emission crew transfer services to the offshore wind sector.The vessels are fitted with 190 kW battery arrays that enable them to sail zero emissions while in harbor and when loitering at offshore wind farms.In addition to their hybrid capabilities, the FCS 2710 Hybrids are IMO Tier III compliant, with significantly reduced NOX and SOX emissions. With this performance…

Dutch offshore installation firm Van Oord has secured a contract from RWE for the transport and installation of monopile foundations for the Nordseecluster offshore wind project in Germany.This project will be the first project for the Van Oord’s brand-new offshore installation vessel Boreas, which is currently under construction.Van Oord’s scope includes the installation of 104 extended monopiles as well as the installation of the scour protection. In 2025, 44 monopiles are planned…

On May 21, 2024, Shore Offshore Services completed the acquisition of the derrick barge Swing Thompson from Turnkey Offshore Project Services (TOPS).The barge will be renamed Hulk and will maintain its Vanuatu flag while following ABS guidelines and working toward gaining OVID compliance. The asset will be capable of installation and decommissioning of offshore facilities in the Gulf of Mexico and internationally.Equipped with an eight point mooring system, the 400- by 120-foot derrick barge is capable of working in up to 600 feet of water and can accommodate up to 104 persons.

North Star has secured a contract with Siemens Gamesa to build a hybrid service operations vessel (SOV) bound for long-term charter at the East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm in UK.Cochin Shipyard has been confirmed to build the SOV of VARD 4 19 design for North Star’s growing fleet.The high specification vessel will accommodate up to 60 of its client’s wind technicians as they support maintenance operations across all 95 wind turbines at the East Anglia Hub development. To ensure safe crew transfers…

Malaysia-based offshore services provider Carimin Resources Services, a subsidiary of Carimin Petroleum, has signed an agreement with Penguin Shipyard Asia for the acquisition of unregistered crew boat newbuild, worth $4.96 million.The newbuild multi-role executive crew boat is of Penguin's proprietary Flex-42X design.Penguin’s Flex-42MX and Flex-42X can transport up to 60 tons of deck cargo on a 110-square meter cargo deck, and hold 80,000 liters of fuel and 20,000 liters of fresh water.The overall of the vessel…

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has signed an installation vessel reservation agreement with an undisclosed client, valued up to $760 million, for upcoming wind farm installation projects.If all options are exercised during the four-year agreement, it would represent the largest deal in Cadeler's history, with the potential value of the projects to be executed under the agreement estimated to be in the range of $430-760 million (€400-700 million).The agreement secures…

Kongsberg Maritime has been tasked to conduct energy efficiency upgrades on Solstad’s Normand Sentinel, one of its most prominent subsea construction vessels.This upgrade will see the vessel transition to Kongsberg Maritime’s electric rim-drive azimuth thrusters, marking a milestone in maritime energy efficiency.The Normand Sentinel, measuring 143 metres in length and boasting years of reliable service, is set to receive this upgrade during its next scheduled drydocking.The vessel’s…

Dominion Energy has announced that the first monopile foundation for the 2.6-gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), the largest offshore wind farm under construction in the United States, has been installed approximately 29 miles off the Virginia Beach coast.The monopile was installed by the Orion, DEME Group's heavy lift vessel.Once complete in late 2026, CVOW will consist of 176 turbines that will generate enough clean, renewable energy to power up to 660,000 homes…

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has placed a $400 million order to COSCO Heavy Industries for the construction of its third A-class wind farm installation vessel, capable of transporting and installing seven complete 15 MW turbine sets per one loading.This will be the 11th vessel in Cadeler’s fleet, ordered ready to meet the growing offshore wind market demand.The third A-class vessel – Wind Apex – will feature the hybrid design, enabling it to convert from being…

Offshore wind installation company Havfram has signed a contract with Iberdrola for the installation of 21 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines at the Windanker project in the Baltic Sea, off Germany.The contract, set to start in summer 2026, covers transport and installation support, which will be executed by one of Havfram’s newbuild NG20000X-HF wind turbine installation vessels.Windanker, located in the German Baltic Sea, will have an installed capacity of 315 MW.Most of the renewable…

The specialized vessel Sapura Ônix is on its way to Atlanta Field in Santos Basin, offshore Brazil, where it will carry out the installation of subsea equipment to support the oil production, targeted for August 2024.Brazilian oil and gas company Enauta said the Sapura Ônix vessel is en route to install multiphase pumps (MPPs), umbilicals for power and data transmission, and production risers, connecting the wells’ subsea infrastructure to FPSO Atlanta.The FPSO Atlanta, chartered and operated by Malaysia’s Yinson Production…

Offshore installation services company Jan De Nul has ordered another XL cable laying vessel (CLV), identical to the Fleeming Jenkin, which boasts ‘unrivalled cable-carrying capacity’.Like the Fleeming Jenkin, the vessel will be 215 meters long and can transport 28,000 tonnes of cables.This will make them the largest capacity cable-laying vessels in the world, according to Jan De Nul.Thanks to cutting-edge technology on both vessels, designed by Jan De Nul Group's own specialists, they can lay cables in both shallow and ultra-deep waters up to 3,000 meters.

Philly Shipyard has laid the keel for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation's subsea rock installation vessel, Acadia—the first Jones Act compliant rock placement vessel for the U.S. offshore wind industry.A May 2 keel-laying ceremony saw the vessel's first grand block loaded into the building dock, marking a significant milestone in the shipbuilding process.Great Lakes' CEO, Lasse Petterson, said, “Keel laying, commonly referred to as the birthday of a ship, is a big milestone in the ship construction process…