On the outskirts of Rotterdam, a bright orange ship is hoisted above the muddy Rhine with the help of six chunky triangular legs. The vessel has just been retrofit with a huge crane capable of lifting up to 1,600 tons 160 meters above deck. Once the finishing touches have been made, the Wind Osprey will take off for Germany, and return to building wind turbines at sea.
Plans to accelerate the rollout of offshore wind in the UK could be knocked off course by renewed oil and gas activity, as both sectors compete for the same resources.
Singapore-listed Marco Polo Marine has signed an agreement with K Line Wind Service (KWS) to explore suitable vessel opportunities in the frontier Japanese offshore wind market.
Solstad Offshore has signed a frame agreement with Technip Norge and Technip UK for the supply of vessels for trenching, construction and subsea services.
Farstad Shipping said it has laid up two PSV and three AHTS in Norway amid a weakening North Sea market.
The move means 100 employees are to be made redundant.
The company said it was now fully focused on securing contracts and employment of vessels and crews.