Wind Farms News

If the dynamic positioning (DP) system went down on an offshore supply vessel, it could result in a collision. On a dive support vessel, it could result in injury or death for a diver. On a drilling rig, it could result in a blowout with loss of life, pollution and fire.Built-in redundancy is key to avoiding failures, and this in turn determines the thruster, electrical and engine configurations that are designed to enable DP systems.“There is no single, universal solution,” says Lauri Tiainen, Director Thrusters and Propulsion Control Systems, Wärtsilä Marine.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has said she would fight the federal decision to halt all construction for the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project made by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI).The U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered a halt to construction on Equinor's Empire Wind project off the coast of New York, citing inadequate environmental analysis conducted by the Biden Information.Empire Wind was approved by the Biden administration in November of 2023 and began construction in 2024.At the end of December 2025…

Malaysia-based fleet owner of self-propelled accommodation workboats Keyfield International has set out plans to acquire a newly-built DP2 cable-laying barge for $20.5 million, marking its expansion into cable laying market.The 98-meter-long barge, to be renamed to Keyfield Blessing, will be acquired from Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering in China.The acquisition will be undertaken by Keyfield Ventures (Labuan) Limited, a newly-incorporated 100% subsidiary of Keyfield.The purchase…

Japanese operator Tokyo Kisen has taken delivery of the first of two new bespoke crew transfer vessels (CTVs), designed by Incat Crowther, which will be put to service Japan’s growing offshore wind energy sector.Constructed by Cheoy Lee shipyard in China, the first 26.4-meter-long vessel completed sea trials in late 2024.The two ClassNK 26-metre catamaran CTVs have been developed with Tokyo Kisen to comply with strict local regulations.The design of the vessels has been future-proofed…

Danish logistics specialist deugro and its partners Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S and Amasus Offshore B.V. are moving full steam ahead with the next generation of purpose-built transport vessels for the offshore wind sector. In a key milestone for offshore project logistics, the Rotra Futura was delivered on March 30, 2025, and just four days later, her sister ship Rotra Horizon was launched from Zhenjiang Shipyards in Jiangsu Province, China. The Rotra Horizon is slated for delivery in July 2025.The delivery and launch represent a significant expansion of the “Rotra concept…

Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has signed an agreement to acquire Havfram, an offshore wind installation contract based in Norway, in a deal worth $985.5 million.The strategic acquisition aligns with DEME's ambition to expand its footprint in the offshore wind energy market and enhances its competitive positioning in turbine and foundation installations.Havfram is a Norwegian offshore wind infrastructure company focused on providing transport and installation to the offshore wind sector.

Energy firms have slowed construction of offshore wind farms in the U.S. for various reasons in recent years, including, most recently, opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.Offshore wind was a key pillar of former President Joe Biden's promise that fighting climate change will create jobs and invigorate the economy. In 2023 and 2024, however, several offshore wind companies took billions in write-offs, impairments and other cancellation fees after determining they could no longer complete projects profitably due to rocketing construction costs…

VARD signed a contract with Taiwan's Dong Fang Offshore for the design and construction of one Offshore Subsea Construction Vessel, with option(s). The vessel is of VARD 3 39 design, and the value of the contract is $125 million. This is the third vessel VARD is building for DFO, with the first two being Commissioning Service Operations Vessels, contracted in May 2024.DFO aspires to be the supplier of choice to deliver international standard cable installation and repair solutions in the wind and telecoms industries…

NYK Line, NTT FACIITIES, Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation, MUFG Bank, and the city of Yokohama have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a demonstration project of an offshore green data center, utilizing a mini-float installed as a disaster countermeasure.On a mini-float, spanning 25 meters in length and 80 meters in width, installed off Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama City, the partners will test an offshore floating data center fully powered by renewable energy generated by solar power and battery energy storage systems.Based on the results…

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has taken delivery of its latest jack-up wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), Wind Pace, marking another significant milestone in the company’s ongoing fleet expansion.Delivered safely, on time, and within budget, Wind Pace has become the seventh vessel in Cadeler’s growing portfolio of wind turbine installation vessels.Wind Pace was officially named at a ceremony on the March 12, 2025, at the COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (COSCO) shipyard in Qidong, China, where it was built.After the delivery, Wind Pace will be deployed in the U.S.

The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, in partnership with the National Shipbuilding Office and the Crown Estate, have appointed Cammell Laird shipyard to carry out a detailed analysis of the future market opportunity for U.K.-built ships in offshore wind. The work will help develop knowledge of how the U.K. can provide vessel manufacturing to support offshore wind, delivering jobs and economic investment to communities around the country.With over 850GW of offshore wind capacity expected to be installed globally by 2050…

In the last decade, changing U.S. Administrations have become increasingly tumultuous, as the swings in priorities and directives have a real, material impact on business. Read on for insights on the current and future of U.S. Offshore Wind.In the weeks preceding his late January inauguration, then President-elect Donald Trump referred to wind turbines (both onshore and offshore) as “garbage in a field” and described electric power produced through offshore wind as “…the most expensive energy ever…”In the same briefing…

Consortium partners Semco Maritime and PTSC M&C have completed the load-out and sail-away of the second and last offshore substation for the Hai Long Offshore wind project in Taiwan.The load-out and sail-away of the second substation for Hai Long 3 offshore wind farm, which took place on March 8, 2025, comes almost a year after the first substation for Hai Long 2 was delivered to the project site.The project exceeds 1 GW and consists of Hai Long 2 and Hai Long 3 wind farms in the Taiwan Strait 45-70 kilometers off the coast and is jointly developed by Mitsui & Co…

Researchers at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), alongside colleagues at the University of Aberdeen, found that the majority of UK fishermen feel their livelihoods are being threatened by the rapid expansion of offshore wind farms (OWFs), with impacts felt across all vessel sizes and fleet sectors.The study reveals that while the UK leads globally in offshore wind energy production, providing 45% of European capacity and 24% of global capacity, this growth is creating significant spatial conflicts with the commercial fishing industry as both sectors compete for limited marine space.

Britain will invest 55.7 million pounds ($71.45 million) in the Port of Cromarty Firth in Scotland to expand the facility to become a hub for floating offshore wind, the government said on Wednesday.Britain has a target to largely decarbonize its electricity sector by 2030 which will require a huge ramp up in renewable power like offshore wind.Using floating turbines, that are not fixed to the seabed like traditional wind farms, allows the projects to be much deeper out at sea, making them less visible to communities that might object and where wind speeds are likely to be stronger.Currently t

The global offshore wind industry is poised for a rebound in 2025, with capacity additions expected to reach 19GW and sector-wide expenditure projected to hit $80 billion, according to research from Rystad Energy.This recovery follows a slowdown at the end of last year, when new installations dropped to approximately 8GW, which is 2GW lower than the year prior.A record wave of lease auctions is driving the resurgence, with the world’s largest offshore wind market, mainland China, accounting for 65% of new capacity.

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has signed a firm contract for the deployment of its newbuild offshore wind vessel, the Wind Pace, at an offshore wind farm located in the United States.This will be the first time Cadeler’s second P-Class newbuild vessel, Wind Pace, will be deployed following its anticipated delivery later in 2025.The work is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2025 and the Wind Pace will be committed under this contract until the first quarter of 2026.The value of the contract to Cadeler is estimated to be between $70 million and $79 million.To remind…

Belgian offshore installation contractor Jan De Nul has secured a contract for the installation of monopiles for 72 offshore wind turbines that will make up the 1.1 GW Inch Cape offshore wind farm in Scotland.Inch Cape offshore wind farm, being developed by ESB and Red Rock Renewables as equal joint owners, recently reached financial close and is now progressing into construction.In that regard, Jan De Nul has been contracted for the installation of the monopile foundations with the offshore heavy-lift vessel Les Alizés…

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) and InfraVia, a private equity company in Europe, have entered into exclusive negotiations for InfraVia to acquire a majority stake in LDA, a group specializing in high value-added industrial marine services.LDA currently specializes in three growing segments, transportation and logistics of industrial equipment, mainly through dedicated Ro-Ro vessels, maintenance of offshore wind farms, and installation and maintenance of submarine telecom and power cables.With a worldwide presence…

Watson Farley & Williams (‘WFW’) advised Eurazeo, acting as lead investor via its Eurazeo Transition Infrastructure Fund, on a $73m investment in new offshore service vessel platform MPC OSE Offshore. The platform, a joint venture between MPC Capital and O.S. Energy, helps develop, build, and manage service support vessels for offshore wind farms. The consortium of investors comprised the European family office and others in addition to Eurazeo.A leading European investment group with $37bn AUM, Eurazeo supports 600+ mid-market companies across Europe, Asia, and the United States.MPC Capital is a global investment and asset manager with $5bn AUM specializing in transport…

Investment group Eurazeo has made a $73.1 million investment in MPC OSE Offshore, a joint venture established by MPC Capital and German offshore services firm O.S. Energy, with the aim of building and managing new service operations vessels (SOVs) for offshore wind farms.Eurazeo made the investment through its Eurazeo Transition Infrastructure Fund (ETIF), a fund with a sustainable investment strategy focusing on the transition of essential infrastructure to a low-carbon economy.This…

French ship owner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has selected SALT as the naval architect and Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC) as the shipyard for the construction of three new service operation vessels (SOVs) ordered by Vattenfall.SALT, an offshore vessel designer and long-time partner of LDA, has been entrusted with the development of the new SOVs.ZPMC has been chosen as the shipyard for the construction of the new SOVs.The new SOVs will integrate high-end European components…

Companies that once committed to investing in U.S. offshore wind infrastructure and supply chains are now scrapping their plans as the industry experiences significant challenges. These setbacks stem from project delays, soaring costs, and the potential loss of federal support under former President Donald Trump’s proposed policies.The downturn in the offshore wind sector over the past two years has led to prolonged project delays, budget overruns, and even outright failures of planned wind farms…