Operations News

Orsted Taiwan Ltd announced that it has signed a 20-year wharf lease with Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC) for the development of its offshore wind farms (OWF) off Changhua County.The global offshore wind leader announced the signing of a wharf lease and a 20-year operations and maintenance (O&M) lease with the Port of Taichung, managed by Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) and TIPC Marine Construction, respectively.The Ørsted leased wharfs at the Port of Taichung will be upgraded and utilized for the construction of the Greater Changhua offshore wind farms, and the O&M site will serve as the O&M base for Ørsted‘s Changhua offshore wind farms from 2022 onwards.Ørsted’s Greater Changhua wind farms are located approximately 35-60 kilometers off the coast of Changhua County.

Paris-based geophysical firm CGG announced that Total has renewed its contract to operate the oil major’s Dedicated Processing Center (DPC) in Pau, southwest France, for five years from January 2020.The two companies have been working in close collaboration at the DPC since 2006, said a press release from the global geoscience technology firm.Through this long-term relationship and CGG’s timely delivery of its innovative technologies and tailored workflows for a variety of environments around the world, the DPC has established a reputation for excellence, especially in 4D processing.Sophie Zurquiyah, CEO, CGG, said: “As a result of our strong partnership, the Pau DPC is fully integrated into Total’s production cycle.

The BorWin3 offshore wind grid connection project in the German North Sea has been handed over to the German/Dutch transmission grid operator TenneT, by contractors Siemens and Petrofac.The 900 MW project will convert three-phase electric power generated by the Hohe See and Albatros offshore wind farms into direct current and transmit it 160km back to shore to the German national grid.Siemens was responsible for the grid connection system including an onshore converter station.The grid connections HelWin1 and HelWin2, BorWin2, SylWin1, and BorWin3 – for which Siemens supplied all the technology for direct current transmission – are thus now in commercial operation and are transmitting power.Siemens, together with Petrofac, was awarded the contract for BorWin3 in the spring of 2014.

The global leader in offshore wind Ørsted has opened the operations & maintenance (O&M) base for the Borssele 1 + 2 offshore wind farm in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. The opening was organized together with Energy Port Zeeland.All construction work and maintenance will be coordinated from the new base, which is located in Vlissingen-Buitenhaven at the North Sea Port. Borssele 1 + 2 will be operational at the end of this year.The maintenance location was officially opened by deputy Jo-Annes de Bat of Zeeland, alderman John de Jonge van Vlissingen, CEO Daan Schalck of North Sea Port, director Erik de Bruyn of Cordeel Netherlands and director…

Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has begun operation of a new data platform called ‘Lighthouse’, to provide real time transport information to dry bulk shipping customers and stakeholders.The platform is a service that allows those involved in the transport process, such as shippers and vessel operators, to safely, unitarily, and in real time, share and monitor various kinds of information related to ocean transport, such as vessel schedules ,weather, ocean conditions, as well as data related to cargoes and contracts, on a customized basis for each customer.By establishing this system, MOL aims to help its customers enhance their supply chain management through measures such as optimization of ship allocation and more effective management of inventory…

Dublin-based SSE Renewables, a renewable energy subsidiary of Airtricity, has selected the port of Montrose on the east coast of Scotland to serve as the operations and maintenance (O&M) base for its 1100MW Seagreen offshore wind farm.Situated over 27km off the Angus coastline, Seagreen is the furthest from shore of any Scottish offshore wind farm and is expected to produce enough renewable energy to power over 40% of all households in Scotland. When completed, it will become Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm.John Hill, Seagreen Project Director, said: “The Operations and Maintenance base will play an important role in the day-to…

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, a 50/50 partnership between Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF Renewables North America, announced the launch of ocean survey operations today within the Atlantic Shores lease area, in order to inform future turbine development.Survey operations encompass 183,000 acres located 8-20 miles off the New Jersey coast between Barnegat Light and Sea Isle City and are expected to conclude by the end of October, weather permitting.The survey vessel Geosea will be utilized to characterize the seabed, collect samples and determine placement of data collection buoys, which will be deployed later this year to help measure wind…

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani ) has issued a license to the local subsidiary of Maersk in order to operate in all ports across Saudi Arabia.According to the state news agency SPA, the step comes along with the authority’s strategy to improve the efficiency and quality of performance and services offered in Saudi ports.The new Maersk shipping license is the fourth of its kind to be issued to foreign investors in the Kingdom. Maersk joins other major lines of Barwil, Hapag-Lloyd and the Mediterranean Shipping Company, already operating.Saad Abdul Aziz Al-Khalb, President of the Saudi Ports Authority, (Mawani) commented that “We have issued a license to Maersk (Saudi Arabia) to operate in all 9 Saudi ports.

Navis, a part of Cargotec Corporation, announced that Yılport Holding Inc. will roll out Navis’ Compass visual workflow management application to five terminals that use Navis N4 to bring enhanced visibility, communication and collaboration to the planning process across terminals.The Compass application digitizes the workflow and standardizes the way terminals work to improve the quality of the planning and tracking process to improve the terminal’s efficiency.The Compass application is easy to implement, with multiple deployment options suitable for every terminal, and utilizes the Navis Smart technology to unlock vast amounts of data…

India has formally taken over operations at Iran’s strategic Chabahar Port. According to the government of India, India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ) a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Indian Ports Global (IPGL) in Iran has taken over interim operation of the Chabahar Port with effect from December 24.Representatives from India, Iran, and Afghanistan met in Tehran to formally hand over control to IPGL.Accoding to IRNA news agency, IPGL had been granted the lease for “a temporary period of 18 months and a ten-year period afterwards.” IPGL’s management would include “loading and unloading, supplying equipment and marketing.”The U.S.

Danish shipping company Esvagt is to provide MHI Vestas with a new service operation vessel for work on Moray East offshore wind farm off the coast of Scotland."Another Esvagt Service Operation Vessel (SOV) for offshore wind farms is on its way to MHI Vestas. The vessel will service the offshore wind farm, the Moray East, in the UK from 2021," the  provider of emergency rescue and response vessels said.The partnership between MHI Vestas and Esvagt continues with another new build SOV for delivery at the start of 2021, bringing the number of wind vessels on contract to MHI Vestas to five in 2021.Esvagt and MHI Vestas have been working together since 2008.

Australian energy company Senex Energy has successfully tested a gas exploration well in the Cooper Basin in South Australia.According to the Brisbane-based company The Gemba-1 well flowed 227,000 cubic metres (8 mcf) of gas per day over a period of a week."Senex Energy has successfully completed the initial flow test of the Gemba-1 gas exploration well in the Cooper Basin, with stabilised flow rates of approximately eight million standard cubic feet per day, plus associated liquids," said a stock exchange annoucement.Senex Managing Director and CEO Ian Davies said: “Senex is delivering on its strategy to become a material supplier of gas to the east coast market, and this Cooper Basin gas discovery adds another potential supply source from our growing portfolio.