Offshore Industry issue 1 2023

SCIENCE FRICTION

LONG-LASTING SEALING TECHNOLOGY DEFIES WIND AND WEATHER

How can seals exposed to wind and weather cope with the powerful forces of multi-megawatt wind turbines with ever-larger shaft diameters? Our researchers and engineers have developed a low-friction, high performance seal that can tolerate strong shaft runout and reliably prevent leaks. This means high operational reliability, longer maintenance intervals, and signi cant cost savings. fst.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

Still going strong

Just like in the early months of last year, the world is startled by a disaster again. The earthquake in the Turkish-Syrian border area resulted in many casualties and tremendous damage which will both have a lasting impact on the lives of many families. Meanwhile, there are no signs of the war in Ukraine to end soon. We should not forget that every day, people die or get wounded as a result of this. What we have learned from both events is that all over the world people are joining forces to help the misfortune, and those in need. Also, when looking at the impact of the war, we see that governments and the industry show a high level of decisiveness and flexibility to cope with the challenges that have arisen. Let us hope that this will also help to overcome the damage and pain caused by the earthquakes.

Human nature shows a high level of resiliency and people tend to get back to normal life and business as soon as possible. Problems are there to be solved and alternatives are found. The supply of oil and gas from Russia came to a halt, which made countries successfully look for other options. Also, the energy transition gained momentum with governments raising their goals for green energy. However, aren’t things going too fast? With the saying ‘Don’t lose sight of the forest just because you think you are in the weeds’ in mind, we should all be aware of the fact that we will still heavily depend on oil and gas for the upcoming decades. Other than that, the industry must continue to invest in keeping the production reliable, safe, e cient, and sustainable wherever possible, as we should not bet everything on electrification.

When looking through the pages of this issue, you will notice that business is still going strong in our industry and in the many segments involved. New challenges, such as cybercrime and the e ects of bigger wind turbines, ask for new ideas and innovative thinking. Impressive projects, such as an 18km long tunnel between Denmark and Germany, display the capabilities of man and machine. Many companies cannot wait to showcase their o ers to the visitors of the sold out Wind Europe Copenhagen and in Brittany, the authorities and industry are looking forward to the start of the construction of several o shore wind farms nearby. You will find these and many other interesting stories on the next pages. It was a pleasure to compile them for you, and I hope you will enjoy reading.

Arno Dirkzwager ARNO@YNFPUBLISHERS.COM

Liftal Vlissingen

Groenlandweg 4

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4455 SN Nieuwdorp

(Vlissingen-Oost)

Tel: +31 (0) 118 - 488 450

Email: vlissingen@liftal.com

Liftal Rilland

De Poort 15

4411 PB Rilland

Tel: +31 (0) 113 - 571 523

Email: rilland@liftal.com

Liftal Rotterdam

p/a Admiraal de Ruyterstraat 24

3115 HB Schiedam

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Email: rotterdam@liftal.com

Liftal Belgium

Duitslandstraat 4

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Tel: +32 (0)3 710 11 82

Email: temse@liftal.com

MARITIEM BOUW OFFSHORE ENERGIE INDUSTRIE

ROV training partnership advances industry skills agenda

DRIFT O shore has struck a partnership agreement to deliver technical training on Seatronics’ VALOR ROV system. The collaboration with Seatronics, a brand in Acteon’s Data and Robotics division, will serve to sustain a pool of skilled and competent pilots, and demonstrates DRIFT O shore’s training capabilities within its wider service o ering. The VALOR ROV technology is among the most up to date on the subsea market, bridging the gap between Observation Class and Work Class ROVs by using a network-based operating system and advanced sensor control.

DRIFT O shore is to lead the training courses in both the UK and USA, utilising the VALOR ROV and Seatronics test tanks. Kyle Pitman, Founder and Director at DRIFT O shore, says, “Our partnership with Seatronics gives us a new opportunity to show how our quality training services can support the industry and pilots in achieving their goals.”

i. driftoffshore.com

DNV to launch phase 2 of o shore hydrogen pipelines joint industry project

DNV is launching the second phase of H2Pipe, a joint industry project aiming to develop a new code for the design, requalification, construction, and operation of o shore pipelines to transport hydrogen – either pure or blended with natural gas. Phase 2 of H2Pipe is planned to start in Q1 2023 and lasts two years. It will consist of a comprehensive experimental test programme to enhance the understanding of the governing hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms and how hydrogen a ects the integrity of the line pipe material. In addition to the experimental test campaign, Phase 2 will also include tasks such as a feasibility level design of o shore hydrogen pipelines and a risk assessment study to look at safety aspects of o shore hydrogen pipelines. The primary outcome of Phase 2 is expected to be a detailed guideline o ering specific guidance for use in design and re-purposing of o shore pipelines for hydrogen transport.

i. dnv.com

Gary Craigen, ROV Manager at Seatronics and Kyle Pitman, Founder and Director of DRIFT Offshore.

Damen’s new o shore construction capability reveals

Damen Shipyards Group is leveraging its resources and shipbuilding expertise to become a major force in o shore construction. Damen Shipyards Mangalia (DSMa), Romania, the group’s largest facility, will play a significant role in this. Capable of handling very large structures, it is also equipped with a semi-automated panel line, modern blasting and painting cells, a 1,000t gantry crane and other equipment that make it highly e cient operationally, as well as economically. The company is currently delivering two HVDC (High-Voltage Direct Current) o shore transmission projects at DSMa, both of which are being constructed under contracts with Aker Solutions as the main EPCI contractor. Damen is undertaking the structural fabrication, surface protection, outfitting including insulation, lighting, ducting, local cabling and more, as well as the fabrication of the transport grillages. Work began last year and the first HVDC is due for delivery in the first half of 2023 and the second will be delivered in Q1 2024. Once complete, the HVDC topsides will set sail for Aker Solutions’ yard in Stord, Norway, where the HVDC equipment will be installed and commissioned before they depart for their final destinations.

i. damen.com

The world’s largest monopile foundation manufacturing plant

Sif has announced its USD 352 million final investment decision to construct the world’s largest monopile foundation manufacturing plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Construction is expected to start in April 2023. Once the expanded manufacturing plant is fully ramped-up, which is expected in the first half of 2025, the total combined capacity of Sif will be increased to 500,000t a year and upgrade Sif’s capabilities to manufacture the equivalent of 200 XXXL, 11m diameter, 2,500t reference monopile foundations a year. Two launching customers together have committed to 348,000t of production (booked or in exclusive negotiation) bringing the present total orderbook to 662,000t. A long-term capacity reservation framework agreement with Equinor is in place while a second long-term capacity reservation framework agreement is currently being negotiated, which signifies strong commitment from both customers and the market. These launching orders and long-term capacity reservation framework agreements result in strong visibility of future projects and provide significant support to the long-term financial position of the company.All relevant procedures are on schedule for the start of the construction activities.

i. sif-group.com

Bourbon and Horizon Maritime join forces

Bourbon and Horizon Maritime have announced a new joint venture, Bourbon Horizon, dedicated to providing marine services and operations, focusing on the North Sea and Canadian o shore markets. Incorporated in Norway, the new company is strategically positioned in Fosnavåg (Norway) and St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada), with a base fleet of seven modern and capable o shore support vessels: five PSVs, a large AHTS with WROV and a MPSV currently configured for subsea and trenching services. The partnership builds on natural synergies and shared values between the two shipowners. With extensive experience in the harshest o shore environments, Bourbon Horizon will also o er comprehensive ship management services to other shipowners in the industry. With more than 200 dedicated and experienced employees, including a deep pool of experienced seafarers from all over the world, Bourbon Horizon is well equipped for any project.

i. bourbon-online.com

Lankhorst first for deepwater deployment and recovery ropes

In an industry first for deepwater deployment and recovery systems, Lankhorst O shore announces the development of a new DNV Endorsement of Qualification Plan End-toEnd rope splice for its LankoDeep rope. In the event the LankoDeep needs to be spliced o shore by certified personnel, an end-to-end splice can be made quickly, allowing o shore handling operations to continue uninterrupted, and safe in the knowledge that the integrity of the LankoDeep rope is assured. Developed in-house, the LankoDeep rope splicing procedure, which is being certified under DNV-SE-0160, significantly improves the viability of deep-water deployment and recovery projects.

LankoDeep is based on Dyneema DM20 XBO optimised for cyclic bending. Designed from the outset for deep water lowering and recovery projects, LankoDeep o ers significant operational and environmental benefits compared with steel wire ropes.

i. lankhorstropes.com

Fugro secures significant o shore wind programme on the US East Coast

Fugro has signed a letter of intent to optimise and perform a site characterisation programme for an o shore wind development on the US East Coast. The programme is focused on accelerating the construction and operations permitting process and represents Fugro’s latest work on the US East Coast. Fieldwork will begin in the second quarter of 2023 and involves collection of geophysical and geotechnical datasets. Supporting site planning and engineering design, the developing ground model will be made available to project owners in near real-time to facilitate faster decision-making by project engineers and improved collaboration with stakeholders, including regulatory agencies.

i. fugro.com

Siemens Gamesa intends to establish a nacelle facility in New York

Siemens Gamesa intends to build a major o shore nacelle manufacturing facility in New York state, subject to the company’s wind turbines being selected by the New York authorities in their third o shore wind solicitation. The planned facility will be located at the Port of Coeymans and represent an investment of around USD 500 million in the region. Siemens Gamesa is also committing to localising several new component supplier facilities, including steel component fabrication, bearings, and composite components,

demonstrating the further development of a sustainable local supply chain ecosystem. The proposed facility and supplier network in New York would supply components for all Siemens Gamesa o shore wind power projects along the US East Coast. It is part of the company’s integrated plan to localise its o shore wind power supply chain on the US East Coast and also builds upon Siemens Gamesa’s planned o shore wind turbine blade finishing facility in Portsmouth, Virginia as announced in October 2021.

i. siemensgamesa.com

By the industry, for the industry

WindEurope’s Annual Event is returning to Denmark – the home of wind energy. The entire industry will be in Copenhagen from25-27 April 2023.

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF WINDEUROPE.

We are living through turbulent times and the coming years will be crucial for wind energy. Europe needs to be self-su cient in energy for its own security and the EU is calling for decarbonisation by 2050. Wind energy needs to take charge and meet these challenges. For the industry, the need to decarbonise comes with a new dimension. With electricity prices through the roof, clean, homegrown,

reliable, and a ordable energy for all Europeans is needed. In this challenge, wind energy has to take the lead, driving Europe’s response to this energy crisis and safeguarding European livelihoods.

When it comes to wind power, Denmark is one of Europe’s shining lights. The country is a global leader in the field, for both onshore and o shore wind. And a showcase for what we do best as an

industry. Therefore, it is only fitting that in 2023, the wind energy sector will come to life in the Bella Center in Copenhagen. This year’s conference will be looking at how to deliver the rapid buildout of wind and doubling down on the major obstacles. The objectives set out in REPowerEU, the EU’s energy response to the current crisis, aren’t necessarily being deployed on the ground. Many obstacles remain. And

As part of WindEurope’s Annual Event, a completely sold-out exhibition takes place where visitors, more than 10,000 are estimated, can meet more than 400 companies.

Details

Date:25-27 April

Opening hours: 25-26 April:09:00h-18:00h

27 April:09:00h-17:00h

Venue:Bella Center Copenhagen, Center Boulevard 9

2300 Copenhagen (DK)

WindEurope’s goal is to tackle these head on, and get wind on the path to growth.

WindEurope’s Annual Event is developed by the industry for the industry and the conference programme has been set up in close collaboration with hundreds of experts from across the industry and academia, as well as with WindEurope’s Working Groups, Event Ambassadors and Content Partners. Conference key focuses include:

• Slow and cumbersome permitting and insu cient market scale.

• The supply chain, and how to ramp it up.

• Other societal interests, and how to engage with them.

•How to accelerate grid deployment.

• Engaging the demand side.

Across three days, visitors will be able to attend more than 50 sessions about

policy, industry, education, and finance in which they can listen to and interact with speakers from Europe and beyond, from policy to industry, education to finance, and from local authorities right up to European and international bodies.

Parallel to the conference, a completely sold-out exhibition takes place where visitors (an estimated +10,000)can meet more than 400 companieswho are ready to reach out, do business, and showcase their latest products to the entire sector. The wind industry is always on the lookout for fresh voices and new ideas to fulfil its potential. Dedicated to innovative solutions, the Startup Pavilion is a place designed for companies looking to showcase innovative technology to prospective partners and buyers.

i. windeurope.org/annual2023

The wind industry is always on the lookout for fresh voices and new ideas to fulfil its potential.

As an attendee, visitors to the conference will be able to attend more than 50 sessions across three days to listen and interact with speakers from Europe and beyond.

In 2023, the wind energy sector will come to life in the Bella Center in Copenhagen.

Growing demand for low alloy steel solutions

Last year, most companies in the industry could throw away their short-term plans due to the crisis in Ukraine and its e ect on the energy market. Schelde Exotech, for example, experienced an unexpected growth, which causes lack of space in their brand-new facility. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SCHELDE EXOTECH.

Schelde Exotech designs and constructs high-end equipment for various industries. The company is a 100% subsidiary of Pressure Thermal Dynamics (PTD) since 2019. Within the

PTD Group, there is a close cooperation with Verolme (Netherlands), Logan Industries (US), and Nordic Custom (Estonia). At the end of last year, the company moved into a brand-new

facility in the Vlissingen port area of North Sea Port. Next to modern o ce spaces, the new building is divided into four halls. One hall is a cleanroom, for example for the construction and

End of last year, Schelde Exotech moved into a brand-new facility in the Vlissingen port area of North Sea Port.

maintenance of vacuum systems. A second hall is equipped as semicleanroom for the machining of stainless steel and alloy work pieces. The third hall is used for machining carbon steel, and the fourth is an assembly hall. “Having everything under one roof and closely together yields ample logistic advantages,” Jos Mols, Managing Director of Schelde Exotech elaborates, “and on top of this, being located at North Sea Port, with deep sea quay facilities at a stone’s throw and close to the A58 highway, also is a large improvement compared to our former location in the city of Vlissingen.”

Growing demand

“Around eighteen months ago, the design for our new production facility in the Vlissingen port area of North Sea

Port was made, and soon after that construction started”, Mr Mols explains. He continues, “In the years before, we researched various options for moving from our original location near the city centre of Vlissingen to a larger and better located facility. First, we looked at various existing options, but soon we decided that new construction was the best solution for us.” At the end of last year, the company moved to its new location and so far, the team of Schelde Exotech is very satisfied with the new workplace. However, caused by a strong growth of the order book, the company is already looking for expansion. “When construction of our new premises started,” Mr Mols elaborates, “we could not foresee what would happen in the world. The energy crisis caused by the Ukraine war had a large e ect on demand for our services. The search for Russian oil and gas alternatives resulted in the construction of new nuclear power plants. Also, many governments decided to accelerate the energy transition, and this results in the fast development of for example green hydrogen plants. Because of the still low gas prices in the US, the chemical process industry in that country is booming which is profitable for us as well.” Mr Mols continues, “All these circumstances resulted in a growing demand for our products and services and suddenly we had to speed up our production and expand our sta . As a

result of this, only a few months after moving into our new premises, we are now planning to expand. Luckily, we have space for this next to our location and, depending on the permitting process, we hope to be able to start with the construction works soon.”

Low alloy steel riser and stress joint

Although the energy transition causes ample work for the company, this does not mean that the oil & gas industry has become irrelevant. “On the contrary”, Alfred van Aartsen, Material & Welding Engineer of Schelde Exotech states. “Caused by the Ukraine crisis, operators are doing their utmost to keep their o shore assets up and running to be able to meet the rising demand for oil and gas. Most recently, for example, we accepted a new order for the ID cladding of an 18.5m long tapered stress joint (TSJ), welded/fabricated to of a steel catenary riser (SCR). Both are made from high strength, low alloy steel. This is not our first order for this type of TSJ. In 2017, we did the ID cladding of six TSJs made of high strength low alloy steel for the first time. And in 2021, we did connections of di erent high strength grades TSJs to low alloy steel SCRs. Now we are going to construct an ID clad TSJ to SCR for another rig in the Gulf of Mexico for the same customer.”

With the previous orders, Schelde Exotech has built up some experience >>

Macro image of one of the inhouse test-welds.

with these types of work pieces, but this does not mean that it is just a matter of copy-pasting for the new project. “In the oil & gas industry many constructions are tailor made, and this certainly is the case for this new project,”

Mr Van Aartsen says, “and one of the biggest challenges in this new project lies in the relatively small diameter of the riser. The 2017 riser had an internal diameter of 183mm and this one will have an internal diameter of only 139mm. This di erence of 44mm seems hardly important but the smaller the work piece, the smaller the margins for deviations. This diameter only leaves a 5mm margin between the welding torch and the interior of the riser and with a total riser length of 18.5m, welding with such small margins becomes quite exciting. The small margins are also very demanding for the connection of the riser to the TSJ as everything need to fit perfectly.”

A competitive alternative

At the time of writing this article, the project is still in an extensive qualification phase before the actual production will start. “Due to the demanding standards in the Oil & Gas industry we have to take great care in this project”, Mr Van Aartsen explains. “We first tested the various ways in which we can connect the TSJ to the SCR. During the current qualification phase, which is partly supervised by representatives of a certifying bureau, we learn a lot about the right working methods. In the end, this will help us in the actual production phase. In this type of project, the testing and qualifying phases take more time than the actual production.” When everything goes according to plans, the qualification phase will last until the end of Q2, and the final product will be supplied at end of Q3. The low alloy steel that Schelde Exotech uses has tensile and toughness

properties that provide a competitive alternative to the conventional TSJ-SCR designs. Still, it is not a widely accepted design and material. “We see that the industry is quite conservative and prefers choosing proven solutions,” Mr Van Aartsen says, “and with this new project we will show the value of high strength low alloy steel in o shore and subsea use once again.”

i. exotech.nl

“This di erence of 44mm seems hardly important but the smaller the work piece, the smaller the margins for deviations.”

Alfred van Aartsen – Material & Welding Engineer of Schelde Exotech.

Image of the 2017 welding when the riser had an internal diameter of 183mm.

The Wind AI Lab has a wall with many small fans that can all be operated individually.

A flexible wind tunnel: TU Delft Wind AI Lab

With o shore wind turbines getting bigger and bigger, wind conditions at sea have an increasing e ect on the e ciency of the power generated by an o shore wind farm. Therefore, it is good to know what exactly these e ects are.

For optimising the e ciency of wind turbines on o shore wind farms, operators have three options: they can individually adjust the rotor blades, they can turn the nacelles, and they can change the rotation frequency. To learn more about the most ideal combination of these three options, experiments are conducted in wind tunnels and digital simulation models before the construction of the wind farm starts. With the TU Delft Wind AI Lab, it is now possible to carry out experiments with wind fields in which wind speed is not the same everywhere.

Jan-Willem van Wingerden is Professor at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) where he does research to find the optimum design for wind farms and to find ways to maximise the amount of energy a wind farm produces.

Small fans

“Usually, for testing and experimenting with wind turbines wind tunnels are used”, Mr Van Wingerden says. “The restriction of a traditional wind tunnel, however, is that it uses only one big fan. This way, the wind speed in the tunnel is the same everywhere in the tunnel. With the first generation of wind turbines this was no big issue, but with the current wind turbines, sometimes with rotors of 220m in diameter, the wind speed is never the same at all points on the rotating blade.” To find a solution for this static wind tunnel environment, TU Delft introduced the Wind AI Lab last year.

“Our Wind AI Lab is di erent from

traditional wind tunnels as it has a wall with many small fans that can all be operated individually. This way, we can simulate and reproduce di erent wind flows and speeds and see what the e ect of this is on the rotor blades and the energy e ciency of a single turbine and downstream turbines.”

Simulation

Also caused by the upscaling of turbines, digital simulation tools reach their limits of being able to simulate the e ects of weather conditions on the turbine. With the Wind AI Lab, TU Delft can first experiment with small scale turbines under various wind conditions and then use the results for further simulations in digital simulation tools. “In the Wind AI Lab, a maximum of three turbines at a time are used”, Mr Van Wingerden elaborates. “We could install more turbines but, if we would do so, they would need to be smaller, which will make the testing more complex. The models we use now are 60cm high, and we can test models with a size of up to 2m, although this will restrict the number of models to one. With three models it is not possible to give valid results for an entire wind farm. However, the results from the Wind AI Lab tests are implemented in the simulation models of entire wind farms.”

Wake

According to Mr Van Wingerden, an important issue when looking at the entire wind farm is the so-called wake >>

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF TU DELFT, UNLESS STATES OTHERWISE.

For Hollandse Kust Noord TU Delft is now conducting experiments of a completely novel wake mixing technology. Using individual pitch control, the fixed-frame tilt and yaw moments on the turbine are varied, thus dynamically manipulating the wake. This strategy is named the helix approach because the resulting wake has a helical shape.

e ect. “The energy that is extracted from the wind leads to a significant reduction in the wind speed immediately behind the turbine. However, in the wake, which can be an area of up to several hundred metres behind the turbine, the wind gradually returns to the wind speed that

would prevail without wind turbines. Interference among wind turbines however is inevitable as in a large wind farm even overlap of wake occurs, which causes a high load on the turbines’ power units and reduction of e ciency. Currently, it is possible to

By yawing a turbine slightly in relation to the wind, all or part of the wake behind the turbine is guided around the next turbine. This yawing generates less energy at the level of the individual turbine, but if you carry out this optimisation for each wind direction, and therefore for all the turbines within the farm, you can achieve energy gains for the entire wind farm.

automatically change the orientation (yaw) of the turbine. However, this is based on static information. For instance, you can steer the wake by yawing a turbine slightly in relation to the wind so that all or part of the wake behind the turbine is guided around the next turbine. This yawing means that you generate less energy at the level of the individual turbine because the turbine is not facing the front with the rotor in the wind. But if you carry out this optimisation for each wind direction, and therefore for all the turbines within the farm, you can achieve energy gains for the entire wind farm

Butterfly e ect

Yawing one turbine is not really a big issue. However, this yawing causes a kind of a butterfly e ect. “When you adjust the orientation of a turbine,” Mr Van Wingerden voices, “this will

immediately a ect another one that needs to be adjusted too, et cetera. To help adjusting the turbines of an entire wind farm in the most e cient way a great amount of data is needed, and this can be collected through our tests in the Wind AI Lab and digital simulation models. With this data, a certain level of artificial intelligence is realised to be used in smart control technologies. This even allows wind turbines to stand closer to each other, whereas today, with the upscaling of turbine they usually are constructed further away from each other to prevent the turbines to negatively influence each other’s e ciency.”

Floating wind

Currently, o shore wind turbines are still lined up neatly in a predefined pattern, even in floating wind farms. The distance between the turbines is not always the most e cient as this also depends on local circumstances, for example soil conditions, the presence of

pipelines, cables, shipping routes, et cetera. Gaining data from the Wind AI Lab is helpful in the construction and operation of bottom fixed wind turbine farms, but it also highly increases the opportunities of floating o shore wind. In the end, with the right smart control technologies, it would not only be possible to change the orientation as in the case of floating turbines it will even be possible to move the turbines within the wind farm to the most optimal location.

‘Smart’ turbines

One of the launching customers of the Wind AI lab is Crosswind, the consortium that will construct the Hollandse Kust Noord o shore wind farm on the Dutch part of the North Sea. “For Hollandse Kust Noord we are now conducting experiments of a completely novel wake mixing technology. In this technology, using individual pitch control, the fixed-frame tilt and yaw moments on the turbine are varied, thus

dynamically manipulating the wake. This strategy is named the helix approach because the resulting wake has a helical shape. The results of these tests will be implemented in 2025 when the wind farm will become operational”, Mr Van Wingerden says. “With the data that we gain from the experiments, we increase the freedom of design and optimise the smart control technologies. This way, we help operators and constructors to realise the most e cient wind farms. I hope that, in a few years, o shore wind farms will all have ‘smart’ turbines that will work together as a team. After consulting with the other turbines, a wind turbine will float o to the most energy-e cient o shore location and will get into the most e cient operating position. This way, energy production will be maximised and at the same time the load on the turbines will be minimised”, Mr Van Wingerden concludes.

Jan-Willem van Wingerden is Professor at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) where he does research to find the optimum design for wind farms and to find ways to maximise the amount of energy a wind farm produces.

Raising operational e ciency in o shore wind

With a fast expansion in the area coverage of o shore wind farms, operational teams require accurate real-time information without switching between many displays. Miros has now released new applications to optimise the operational e ciency and to reduce downtime in o shore wind projects.

The company’s real-time cloud service now includes an o shore wind map that enables operational teams to e ectively visualise sea state and weather data received from individual turbines across a site. In addition, it grants operators a global view of their wind farms removing the need to access multiple dashboards. Miros has also launched Data Explorer, a new solution allowing the easy creation of purpose-oriented all-in-one sharable dashboards to analyse real-time and historical data from one or multiple o shore wind sites. Data Explorer removes the need to access and maintain several data sources. Decisionmakers get an immediate complete preview of the most crucial information empowering them to make the best sense of the data, analyse trends, and

easily share historical and real-time seastate insights with di erent stakeholders.

Intuitive and easy to use

The o shore wind map and Data Explorer are easy to use and intuitive tools to help operations and maintenance teams significantly reduce energy consumption levels and emissions caused by cancelled o shore operations due to uncertainties around weather conditions and site access. This supports organisations to reach their environmental and sustainability targets.

A recent Miros study with Trios Renewables and the University of Strathclyde provided evidence of the potential benefits of direct wave measurements for o shore wind farms, estimating that minimising turbine downtime by using live data can save

o shore wind operators approximately USD 1.2 million per year.

Maggie McMillan, Vice President of Miros-Renewables, says, “Accurate, reliable data is critical to driving environmental impact reduction e orts and developing more e ective strategies to reduce operational cost. One of the key challenges facing o shore wind operators is accessing turbines at the optimum time to ensure crew safety and operational e ciency and to avoid lost production. Our solutions support operators to access and interpret the right data, at the right time, and in the right way, which is essential to enable informed decision-making for their assets.” Aurelia Paraschiv, IoT Product Manager at Miros, adds, “Analysing data can be a costly and often overwhelming process. Our Data Explorer solution is

Example of usercustomisable dashboard with typical historical and real-time sea-state data.

secure, robust, and intuitive to configure, making it useful in all situations from daily operations to long-term life extension studies, especially for stakeholders engaged in time-sensitive tasks needing to impart critical information quickly.”

Ocean surface

Miros specialises in measuring the ocean surface. It provides real-time wave, current, and weather data to stakeholders involved in weather-sensitive operations o shore to increase safety, operational e ciency, and

optimise planning. The data are o ered as a service with easy and secure access from anywhere, anytime, and on any device. The sea state conditions are measured accurately, irrespective of weather, undisturbed by fog, rain, or

water spray using in-house developed, innovative sensor technology which is dry-mounted, and IoT- and cloudintegrated.

i. miros-group.com

Example of an at-a-glance visualisation of real-time data over an entire wind farm.

Example of historical data show how wave conditions vary across an offshore wind site.

“Our solutions support operators to access and interpret the right data, at the right time, and in the right way, which is essential to enable informed decision-making for their assets.”

Maggie McMillan – Vice President of Miros-Renewables.

Battery pack for Deep Cygnus

Volstad Maritime has contracted Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) to deliver the battery package and associated control system for battery charging to the Deep Cygnus subsea construction vessel.

NES, a subsidiary of HAV Group, specialises in sustainable energy design and smart control and will provide the equipment to the Deep Cygnus in connection with a forthcoming vessel upgrade to battery power notation before the vessel enters a new charter contract in early 2024. During the past six months, Volstad Maritime has contracted NES to deliver similar battery packs and charging system to the Volantis, Grand Canyon II, and Grand Canyon III o shore construction vessels. Deep Cygnus will be the fourth vessel for which Volstad orders a battery system from NES.

Shared responsibility

As one of the first o shore owners to achieve the ISO 50001 accreditation for Energy Management Standard, Volstad Maritime continues the work towards a sustainable future at sea. “We are investing significantly in upgrading and future-proofing our fleet of o shore

construction vessels. Reducing the o shore industry’s CO2 footprint is a shared responsibility that we take seriously. An added benefit is that our vessels become even more attractive to customers who also want to reduce emissions associated with their o shore operations. To achieve this, we rely on close cooperation with key suppliers such as NES, who we have an open and trust-based relationship with”, says Trond Volstad, Member of the Board at Volstad Maritime.

Similar upgrade

The Deep Cygnus is a dynamically positioned multi-role subsea construction vessel incorporating a 150t

active heave compensated subsea crane. The vessel is 122m long and has operated in the North Sea in the recent years. “Upgrading the Deep Cygnus with a battery is similar to the upgrade we are doing onboard Volantis, where we placed the battery and charger under deck in custom-made rooms”, explains Egil Bremnes, Sales Manager at NES. NES will utilise competence across its three Norwegian facilities – Bergen (HQ), Egersund and Ålesund – to design, assemble and test the battery package and control system, which will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2023.

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“An added benefit is that our vessels become even more attractive to customers who also want to reduce emissions associated with their o shore operations.”

Trond Volstad – Member of the Board at Volstad Maritime.

Photo courtesy of Volstad Maritime.

Deep Cygnus will be the fourth vessel for which Volstad orders a battery system from NES.

A ground-breaking investment

ZF Wind Power invests in Test & Prototype Centre

With an increasing number of countries adding a considerable share of wind energy to their energy mix, the wind market is turning into a mature market. In their e ort to reduce the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCoE), the major players in the wind industry find themselves in a race, which will be won by the turbine with the maximum annual power output at the most competitive investment costs.

When looking at the wind turbine’s gearbox, this results in a rapid increase in torque requirements with new o shore developments exceeding 16,000kNm.

ZFWind Power is continuously increasing the torque levels of their

gearboxes and powertrains as well. For this, extensive validation is crucial. Recently, the company announced the investment in a new test rig that can deal with this upscaling. The test rig will have a length of 60m and two engines of 30MW each, which allows testing two

complete powertrains at the same time. This saves time and it optimises the use of power during testing. The 30MW test rig will be installed in a new to build test centre at the Belgian headquarters of ZFWind Power. The ground-breaking ceremony took place on 10 January, >>

(As seen from left to right) Flemish minister of economy, innovation, social economy, and agriculture Jo Brouns; Bob Nijs, mayor of Lommel; Felix Henseler, CEO of ZF Wind Power at the ground-breaking ceremony.

accompanied by Flemish minister of economy, innovation, social economy, and agriculture, Jo Brouns, and Bob Nijs, the mayor of Lommel.

The world’s largest test rig

The rig will test the dynamic behaviour of the main bearings, the gearbox, and the generator on the system level under real conditions with functional load tests, dynamics, and robustness tests. It coversa maximum torque of 45MNm, a maximum bending moment of 64MNm, and a maximum axial force of 7,500kN. “To meet the growing demand for wind energy, larger and more powerful turbines are needed”, Felix Henseler, CEOof ZF Wind Power, says. “These new generation turbines will be powered by the world’s most powerful powertrains. Of course, these installations must be tested and validated extensively before o shore installation, which is why we started installing the world’s largest test rig.” Mr Henseler continues, “Extensive validation is the foundation of ZF’s innovations. Testing allows us to contain the risks inherent to the wind industry and it is essential to receive approval from customers, insurers, and certification agencies to launch new designs.”

Extreme forces

As the test rig must simulate the most extreme circumstances, it has to be more powerful than the products tested. Mr Henseler explains, “The forces acting on a turbine’s rotor blades, and powertrain are extreme. Torque, for example, is 40,000 times more than that of a sports car. Because each rotor blade experiences di erent forces during operation, also extremely large bending moments are caused. All these extreme forces will be simulated in our test rig and in a few months’ time we can test an extensive validation and simulation of the forces of 30 years of wind on the powertrain.”

Commitment to partnering

The installation will be in operation as of 2024 and it will secure ZF Wind Power’s position in the wind market for the upcoming decades. “The development of ZF Wind Power’s Test & Prototype Centre allows us to expand our o ering from modular wind gearbox platforms to complete powertrain systems. Together with our partners, we take on challenges,

build modelling tools, and introduce new production processes. This demonstrates our commitment to partnering with our customers for innovative projects to empower a sustainable future together”, states Mr Henseler.

“ZF is proud to contribute to sustainability and future energy independence through innovative wind

energy solutions. The ground-breaking investment in Lommel will secure ZF’s future portfolio and strengthen the European industrial base in a strategic sector,” adds Mr Henseler.

Strategic Transformation Support

From 2022 until 2024, ZF Wind Power invests around USD 54 million in the test

Artist impression of the world’s most powerful testing grid.

The facilities of ZF Wind Power in Lommel (Belgium).

facilities and the Flemish government supports the investment with a funding of USD 2.2 million. “Thanks to the Test & Prototype Centre, ZF will not only be able to extend its existing activities, but it will also help us to start within the design, validation, and production of complete drivetrains. This is why we are grateful that we can develop this centre with the support of the Flemish

government”, Mr Henseler elaborates. “The importance of this Test & Prototype Centre cannot be underestimated, especially during the current energy crisis. The fact that ZF has selected Flanders for this centre proves, in my opinion, that we have everything it takes to attract international investments in essential sectors”, Mr Brouns states.

Authority

For o shore wind farm operators and constructors, the road to a sustainable future is paved with design challenges, building modelling tools, sharing results, testing, and validation energies and ZFWind Power acts as a proactive partner to deal with these challenges. Thanks to close collaborations, joint teams can develop pioneering solutions for the future wind market. For ZF Wind Power, a partnership does not stop when the product has been developed. For the company, each partner has its own requirements and ambitions and the diversity of wind turbines being a fact, all those systems, configurations, and operational locations with their specific geographical and meteorological conditions influence the appropriate type of service concept.

“The development of the Test and Prototype Centre strengthens our position, and it shows ZF Wind Power’s authority in the wind market to empower a sustainable future together with our partners,” summarises Mr Henseler.

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ZF Wind Power is continuously increasing the torque levels of their gearboxes and powertrains.

Holding strong cards

Ports of Brest and Lorient

Although France is gifted with a long coastal line, today o shore wind plays a minor role in this country’s power supply. However, with the plans of the government to realise 40GW of o shore wind by 2050, the French o shore industry can prepare itself for some busy years.

To be able to allocate future projects even better, the Port of Brest is going to realise an additional 40ha large terminal that will become operational in 2024.

The Brittany ports of Brest and Lorient hold strong cards for playing an important role in the realisation and the O&M phase of the Atlantic projects. Prompted by the Bretagne Regional Council, all marine renewable energy stakeholders in Brittany have joined forces in Bretagne Ocean Power to foster projects more e ciently. We speak to Philippe Thie ry, Manager of this organisation, to learn more about both ports and the plans to

further strengthen their position as o shore energy hubs.

Onshore hub

“As an accelerator”, Mr Thie ry explains, “Bretagne Ocean Power, seeks to facilitate access to industrial know-how for commissioning authorities, to facilitate skill development and market access for Brittany businesses, attract national and international players who wish to develop marine renewables, and

promote local know-how under a single banner. For the French plans to develop new o shore wind farms we depend on the well-known foreign contractors such as DEME, Jan De Nul, and Van Oord, as our country lacks this kind of expertise. However, this does not mean that our region cannot profit from the construction, operation, and maintenance of the wind farms. O shore wind farms always need an onshore hub. During the installation phase, >>

contractors need space to store equipment and turbine parts. Also, some parts may need pre-assembly facilities near shore which also requires space. Once operational, wind farms need an O&M base as nearby as possibly.”

Currently, in the port of Brest, the assembly of internal components of the 62 turbine towers for the 500MW Saint Brieuc o shore windfarm is taking place. The towers are constructed by Haizea

Wind in Bilbao and then transported overseas to Brest for final outfitting. Theassembly of platforms, cables, and ladders is being performed by SPIE Industrie & Tertiaire. “Although a large part of the construction of o shore wind farms is a foreign operation, French companies, including local ones, are profiting too,” Mr Thie ry says, “as ample additional services are necessary in which local content plays an important

role. Currently, in our region, 178 specialised companies are listed in the field of marine renewable energy, most of which have excellent international references.”

Perfect locations

The Port of Brest is one of France’s leading ship repair ports and includes a freight port and a logistic platform for European sea links. “Many larger components which are produced elsewhere are transported overseas before installation at sea, and the ports of Brest and Lorient both have optimal facilities for unloading, storing, and preassembly of the components”, Mr Thier ry says. “In the Port of Brest”, he continues, “we have constructed a new terminal dedicated to large o shore wind projects. It includes 40ha of industrial land linked to the sea and the transport network towards the hinterland. It has a 400m long heavy load quay.” He continues, “Located closely to the future floating wind farms, the port of Lorient also has a solid logistic hub for the installation and maintenance of o shore wind farms. 2.5ha are available for the installation phase, with 800m of quay, and a 13m draught. The complex is equipped with RoRo- handling facilities and suitable lifting equipment including a 30t crane (at 30m reach).” With their strategic position close to the existing and

The Brittany ports of Brest and Lorient hold strong cards for playing an important role in the realisation and the O&M phase of the Atlantic offshore wind and marine energy projects.

Artist impression of the offshore terminal in Port of Brest with the additional 40ha.

Image courtesy of BDI.

planned wind farms, Mr Thie ry sees both ports as the perfect locations to become important o shore hubs. “Brest and Lorient are located right in between 6GW of o shore wind projects, of which today only the 480MW Saint Nazaire o shore wind farm is commercially operational. With a strategic location, in bays protected from harsh weather conditions, without any tidal restrictions, and excellent facilities, our ports o er the right package for servicing the o shore wind contractors and operators.”

Additional 40ha

To be able to allocate future projects even better, the Port of Brest is going to realise an additional 40ha large terminal that will become operational in 2024. “Space, as near as possible to the o shore construction sites, is very important,” Mr Thie ry elaborates, “especially when looking at floating o shore wind.” He estimates that around 50% of all o shore wind farms to be constructed will be floating. “Floating wind will be an important development

in France”, he says, “and therefore, ample space near shore will be necessary as the turbines will be completely assembled before transport to their o shore location takes place. With our ports we can accommodate the construction of the number of turbines worth 250MW per season. Halfway next year, the result of the South Brittany I tender will be announced. In this first round, 250MW of a 750MW large floating o shore wind farm will be realised. Next year, the remaining 500MW will be tendered. With our facilities we are ready to facilitate construction and we already had some promising conversations with the tendering companies. However, with the current plans, 1GW of o shore wind power will be installed annually in the upcoming years. As a result of this, the storage and assembling capacity of all ports in our region will be fully booked until 2030. Therefore, I think that it is important for them to collaborate. We will need each other’s help to accommodate all upcoming projects, otherwise contractors might choose to go abroad.”

Perfect fit

Although the main focus of Bretagne O shore Power lies on o shore wind, the region has more to o er for the energy transition as several Britton companies and institutions are involved in marine energy. “Not many locations are suitable for realising marine energy plants”, Mr Thie ry voices. “Today, various pilot projects are running near Brest and Lorient. We are convinced of the fact that floating o shore wind together with tidal energy are a perfect combination for the country’s sustainable power supply. However, to get things really o the ground, it should be helpful when our government, just like they did for o shore wind, will set goals for marine energy as well, as this will show the relevance of marine energy, which will help investors to step in and enable scaling up marine energy projects to commercialisation. As long as this is not the case, I think that initiatives like our tidal energy projects will remain small scaled and in a more or less experimental stage. With its facilities and experience, our industry is a front runner within this development, so it really would be a great opportunity if the government sets these targets and we are quite confident that they will”, Mr Thie ry concludes.

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“Floating wind will be an important development in France, and therefore, ample space near shore will be necessary as the turbines will be completely assembled before transport to their o shore location takes place.”

Philippe Thieffry, Manager of Bretagne Ocean Power.

Philippe Thieffry – Manager of Bretagne Ocean Power.

Various marine energy pilot projects are running near Brest and Lorient.

Photo courtesy of Sara Minisini / Bretagne Développement Innovation (BDI).

Photo courtesy of Yellow & Finch Publishers.

Exciting and motivating

Per-Erik Holsten, head of ABB Energy Industries for Northern Europe and Managing Director for ABB in Norway

In the o shore industry, a lot of attention is paid to technical innovations and production improvements. However, the human factor cannot be overlooked as o shore projects highly depend on people’s hands, skills, and knowledge, too. In O shore Industry Insights, we introduce individuals that made their bones in this market.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ABB.

Per-Erik Holsten is leading ABB’s Energy Industries division in Northern Europe, covering the oil, gas, power, chemicals, water, and life sciences markets. He started his career as engineer at ABB in 1986 right after graduating in Engineering at South Trondelag University College in Trondheim (Norway). Since then, he has held a variety of positions at ABB, managing di erent business.

Mr Holsten, since leaving the university college, you have always worked for ABB. It looks like you enjoy working at ABB. Do you?

Mr Holsten: “Yes indeed, I started my career at ABB when I was 22 years old and throughout the years I have always enjoyed working at this company. In these past 30 years the industry has developed quite significantly, and this has always resulted in presenting many interesting professional challenges.”

What, in your opinion has been the biggest development in the industry in these 30 years?

Mr Holsten: “When I started to work for ABB, the automation of the industry was in its infancy. In those days, moving switches, pushing buttons, and watching gauges was the usual way of operating production and only the first small steps in digitalisation were being taken. Over the last 20 years, since the introduction of distributed control systems to the o shore industry, we have fully automated control, operations and processes. This now acts as the brain of the facility, maximising e ciency with an aim to optimise production, increase safety, and reduce waste (energy consumption). All this is done via digital platforms that can o er operators complete visibility of operations in real time.”

Can you tell us a bit more about this?

Mr Holsten: “Automation of industry all started, more or less, with replacing mechanical components with digital alternatives. The handling and control of operational processes was still necessary to be conducted by people. This quickly changed by incorporating computers, which also made remote control possible, which is very convenient in the o shore industry.

Computers and sensors have taken over most of the process and today, with the Industrial Internet of Things, equipment all over the world is connected digitally, and in some cases can even operate almost entirely autonomously.

Over the past few years, the role of data collection has become increasingly important. One of the advantages of digitalising processes is that a lot of data can be collected, and the information derived from this can help operators make much more informed decisions

with a view to optimising performance of the site. One such example is regarding asset management and in the field of predictive maintenance. Instead of dealing with an equipment failure as it is happening, or worse after, we can now use digital solutions to predict problems in advance, monitoring the condition of assets in real time which, when it comes to the o shore industry, can massively reduce maintenance costs and downtime, minimising risks and this also increasing e ciency.”

Looking at your role in this, what makes working in the oil & gas industry attractive?

Mr Holsten: “Oil & gas, as part of the energy industry is a very interesting business for technical professionals as there are always many challenges to overcome. Take for example the energy transition we are currently in. This requires us to find solutions to further develop the provision of energy in a sustainable way and for me as an engineer it is a very exciting prospect. On the other hand, I also like the human aspect of my work, working with and for people. The energy transition cannot succeed by implementation of technologies alone. It is about people and partnerships and collaboration will be key in realising solutions for common goals. For me, working with people in such a collaborative way, and with the right spirit, is very motivating.”

You already mentioned the energy transition. Will automation and digitalisation be important for this?

Mr Holsten: “Yes, it is critical. I even dare to say that the speed of the energy transition highly depends on automation. Today, computers, big and small, are the heart and the brains of almost every operational system, so without automation, accelerating the energy transition will be almost impossible. From another perspective, digitalisation is essential, too. Before the construction of an o shore wind farm for example, a lot of research takes place to find the right location, and to learn more about the natural circumstances of the location, such as soil, wind conditions, and current. In fact, this is still the case for the o shore oil & gas industry, too. Also, predictions about weather conditions, wind directions, et cetera are needed. For this research and forecasting, the need for computers is also evident. What we should also realise is that, with the aid of automation, we are able to realise things that would not have been possible in the past, or only at high expenses, such as introducing new energy models into the energy source mix like CCS and the production of green hydrogen. Another good example of this can be found in the field of subsea infrastructure. Automation and digitalisation have highly improved inspection, monitoring, and maintenance.”

So we can conclude that you are looking at the energy transition and the role that automation plays in it with confidence?

Mr Holsten: “Yes, indeed. In the past ten years we have taken large steps, among other things in data collection and on the journey towards autonomous operations. By harnessing automation and digitalisation, high e ciency and large cost savings have already been realised by the industry. So yes, things are moving into the right direction. As we move forward, the focus of the o shore industry is changing in order to include new energy sources including renewables, carbon capture, and energy storage. Each of these have their own challenges that automation and digitalisation can help address. And as we have seen over the past year, ensuring energy security by adding as much capacity and diversity – as well as reliability and e ciency – to our energy source mix is critical. It is all about ‘net additions and minimising emissions’. And by this adding new energy sources into the mix, it is also about utilising technologies to drive e ciencies to enable them to scale at speed, whilst at the same time looking at how we can improve sustainability of our existing energy infrastructures.

I really am a promotor of the energy transition. What we should not forget, is that the current sustainability actions we are taking are beneficial for our own future but also for the future of the generations to come. Automation will be an important factor in this and people will always play a crucial role. Therefore, Ialways encourage young people to join our industry. This way, they will be able to contribute to their own sustainable future themselves.”

It is obvious that hacking is one of the largest challenges in automation. What can we do to avoid digital intrusion of o shore assets?

Mr Holsten: “Today, cyber security certainly is one of the top priorities in automation. Cyber-attacks have severe consequences, including loss of production, financial losses, and potentially even harm to employees and the surrounding community. It is therefore extremely important for o shore companies to adopt cyber security

in their sites because they pose a high risk for cyberattacks. Digital transformation has led to an increase in the use of direct or indirect internet-connected devices and systems which can potentially be exploited by cyber criminals.

There are various things that can help to protect against hacking. First it is critical to define what e ective risk management means for you and align your cyber risk strategy and related processes and procedures with that definition. A cyber security strategy should focus on value delivery, based on continuous improvement; the e ective utilisation of available resources is a key factor for success, especially given the actual OT cyber security resource shortages. We developed the Cyber Security Workplace solution at ABB, which helps organisations to empower their existing maintenance workforce to handle cyber security tasks where cyber security experts would have normally been needed. As soon as you have a plan (your strategy) to achieve the defined objectives, the next step within the development of a security program (the roadmap) is a gap analysis which could include multiple topics, for example, review of previous strategy, policies, standards, guidelines, risk assessments, audits, and regulatory requirements.

Another aspect for a good cyber strategy is a cyber security program where you have measurable performance improvements.

At ABB, we provide our customers with appropriate cyber security strategies that include a roadmap of solutions to help them with this. Should companies need immediate assistance to keep their firewalls closed, our 24/7 support is there to help them.”

As part of automation, artificial intelligence is becoming more and more important. What will be the future of this development?

Mr Holsten: “AI will play an important role in autonomous operating assets. However, instead of a revolution, we should strive for evolution. What we must not forget is that the owner of an asset will always be responsible for it, and this also counts for autonomous operating systems. As an industry, the o shore sector has been conservative when it comes to adopting this as an approach. Safe and secure operation of assets should always be priority number one. So before implementing AI and autonomous operating equipment, we need to be completely sure that things work as they should and then gradually work towards full autonomy from there on. Having said that, autonomous operations are picking up traction now as companies can see the benefits – both in regard to the sustainability agenda and to reduce costs. The technology is already available – we have the opportunity now to reduce the emissions of the o shore sector. If we get it right, investing in o shore will help accelerate the sustainability agenda. As we move forward, it is key to utilise the legacy of traditional o shore industries and to apply all our learnings to help define these new approaches.”

i. abb.com

Over the last 20 years, since the introduction of distributed control systems to the offshore industry, we have fully automated control and operations and processes that acts as the brain of the facility.

Acta Marine integrates Starlink with its Walk-to-Work vessel fleet comms infrastructure

Shortly after the announcement of Castor Marine being an authorised Starlink reseller, the company signed a contract to outfit Acta Marine’s Walk-to-Work vessels with Starlink connectivity.

The contract includes the two methanol MDO/HVO powered DP2 Construction Service Operating Vessels (CSOVs) that Acta Marine ordered earlier this year. Castor Marine already manages Acta Marine’s entire fleet connectivity. Starlink will be integrated with the existing onboard communications infrastructure.

Low orbit

Most satellite internet services come from single geostationary satellites that orbit the planet at 35,786km. As a result, the round-trip data time between the user and satellite – also known as latency – is high, making it nearly impossible to support streaming, online gaming, video calls, or other high data

rate activities. Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that orbit the planet much closer to Earth, at about 550km, and cover the entire globe. Because Starlink satellites are in a low orbit, latency is significantly lower— around 20 milliseconds versus over 600 milliseconds.

Castor Marine already manages Acta Marine’s entire fleet connectivity.

Photo courtesy of Acta Marine.

Successful o shore operations

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications at sea is becoming increasingly important, because of its ability to provide high-speed internet at very low latency. With this project, Castor Marine’s strategy to o er Starlink to its portfolio is already paying o . The W2W vessels will each get four Starlink antennas and the full Fortinet suite for secure SD-WAN and SD-LAN network connectivity. This means that onboard operational and crew internet tra c is secure and fast because of, among other things, a download speed of more than 500Mbps. Castor Marine already serves Acta Marine’s fleet of o shore and DP2 workboats with VSAT and Iridium Certus services and recently installed the new internet security infrastructure as well. This is important, as good communications between all parties involved in an installation or maintenance project is the basis of successful and safe o shore operations. This goes especially for Acta Marine’s fleet and crew, whose combined capabilities mean that work can be performed around the clock in harsh o shore conditions.

Continued cooperation

According to Vince van den Belt, Manager IT at Acta Marine, the contract is a result of the way both companies work together. “We have found a reliable partner in Castor Marine thanks to their extensive technological expertise and driven team. Therefore, it was logical to have them integrate Starlink on our o shore wind fleet.” Mark Olthuis, Director of Castor Marine, adds, “We have been working for and with Acta Marine for more than five years and this project is a confirmation of our

continued partnership. That makes me grateful and happy, as that is what motivates us. Castor Marine aims to provide the best connectivity solution for Acta Marine and this is the right moment to implement Starlink as part of the mix for the Acta fleet.”

Crew welfare, improved operations, more control

Mr Olthuis continues, “One of the elements we very much appreciate in the relationship with Acta Marine, is that from our perspective, it is a very

Castor expects Starlink to become the dominant connectivity technology onboard merchant ships, offshore vessels, and yachts.

Image courtesy of Starlink.

The low latency of Starlink’s LEO satellite network shortens the delay in vessel-to-shore communications considerably.

forward-looking company, commercially and technologically. As to their fleet connectivity, Acta’s management wants the crew to feel at home on board. The fact that they now have a much faster internet connection, allowing the crew to stream videos or facetime with their families and friends, was one of the considerations for installing Starlink.” In addition, the moment a vessel has access to a higher bandwidth, a new range of operational capabilities becomes available. It’s possible to execute more remote operations

simultaneously, deploy and monitor more subsea cameras, VR- and ARenabled technologies come into view and controlling all remote assets becomes much easier. “Acta’s specialists have really asked themselves the question ‘What can we do with better connectivity?, What does it mean? Does it provide us with an extra advantage for our customers, Walk-to-Work fleet and projects?’ We spoke extensively about this and when it turned out the answer was ‘yes’, they took action”, Mr Olthuis elaborates.

No delays

The low latency of Starlink’s LEO satellite network shortens the delay in vessel-toshore communications considerably. This means better accuracy and reduced chances on misunderstandings when executing complicated o shore projects, real-time two-way communications comparable to a fiber connection in an o ce in fact. The Starlink system also enables the use of real-time applications, which means operators can expand their service portfolio. The expanded connectivity suite that Castor Marine now o ers creates a seamless user experience that was impossible a few months ago. Ivo Veldkamp, Castor Marine’s CEO, expects Starlink to become the dominant connectivity technology onboard merchant ships, o shore vessels, and yachts. “Ships that currently rely on VSAT,” he states, “will add Starlink for high bandwidth and speed, while continuing to use VSAT as a back-up and failover service. Castor Marine is well-positioned to meet this demand.”

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The contract includes the two methanol MDO/HVO powered DP2 CSOVs that Acta Marine ordered earlier this year.

Image courtesy of Acta Marine.

Dredging for the world’s longest immersed tunnel

Although many dredging companies have expanded their activities towards the installation of o shore wind farms, this does not mean that they relinquish their original activities. Currently, for example, a large dredging project is well under way between Denmark and Germany.

Boskalis and Van Oord, together are dredging a 16km long trench between Denmark and Germany.

Femern, a 100% Danish state-owned company is tasked with the planning, building, and operating of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel between Denmark and Germany. The tunnel is earmarked as Denmark’s largest infrastructural project and the world’s longest immersed tunnel and it will create a fast and safe 18km long subsea connection between Denmark and Germany.

Fehmarn Belt Contractors

Before the installation of the 89 tunnel segments on the bottom of the sea can take place, a 16km long trench needs to be dredged first. In 2016, Femern and the Fehmarn Belt Contractors (FBC) joint venture, consisting of Boskalis and Van Oord, signed a contract for the construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. The construction work started in June 2020 and the activity scope for FBC includes the dredging of a tunnel trench in the seabed over a distance of 16km. The joint venture also entailed the construction of a new working harbour which was put into operation in June 2022. In connection with the harbour, atunnel factory is constructed which will cast the tunnel elements before being floated out to sea for installation. This is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2023. >>

Pedro da Silva Jørgensen, Deputy Technical Director at Femern.

Dredging toolbox

The dredging of the trench by FBC is a challenging task according to Pedro daSilva Jørgensen, Deputy Technical Director at Femern. “So far,” he says, “the dredging, that started in July 2021 is going according to plans. Of course, there have been challenges but so far, the delays that might have been caused by this have been absorbed. At the dredging route, FBC meets eight di erent types of soils, and this soil can also contain unexpected boulders of various sizes. Based on the survey that has been undertaken in the preparatory phase to learn more about the soil conditions, a toolbox of di erent types of vessels is available. Both Boskalis and Van Oord have a huge number of di erent types of dredging vessels and

for this project, Van Oord uses for example the Vox Amalia, the Goliath, and the Simson. Boskalis has decided to include, the Willem van Oranje, the Magnor, the Fetsy, and the Manta on the job. Because of the di erent soil types, it is decided not to dredge in one direct line between Denmark and Germany. Instead of this, FBC is dredging from soil type to soil type. This way, it is easier and more e cient to discharge the dredged material.”

Well under way

In the end, the dredging will result in around 19m3 millions of sand, stone, and soil. According to Mr Da Silva Jørgensen, the largest part of the dredged material will be used to create 300ha of new nature. “With the dredged material, we

will create a nature-oriented landscape with dunes, grassland, and beaches on the Danish side east and west of Rødbyhavn, as well as on the German side at Puttgarden”, he explains. So far, the dredging is well underway and FBC expects to be ready in the summer of 2024. “In fact, dredging of the trench by FBC is only part of the job”, Mr Da Silva Jørgensen says. “FBC has been assigned to take care of the more or less rough dredging of the trench. Once they are finished, the Femern Link Contractors (FLC) consortium will take care of the finetuning of the dredging which means that the total surface of the trench will be further equalised to make the trench ready for the segments to be installed. The reason for this is that, in the contract for building the tunnel, it

Van Oord’s Simson at work as one of the many dredging vessels used for the project.

The 18km long Fehmarnbelt tunnel will connect Denmark and Germany in a safe and time-efficient way.

Once the trench is ready, 89 tunnel segments will be lowered down to the seabed, after which they will be locked with locking fill and rocks. In the end the current will cover the entire tunnel with sand in a natural way.

was determined that the contractor that constructs the segments will also be responsible for the proper installation and locking of the segments at the bottom of the sea. Once the trench is ready, 89 tunnel segments will be lowered down to the seabed, after which they will be locked with locking fill and rocks. In the end, the current will cover the entire tunnel with sand in a natural way.”

One hour each way

Several years of preparatory work were required prior to the construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. This included the most comprehensive EIA survey in Danish history. Marine and land flora and fauna were extensively mapped to minimise the impact on the

environment. The subsoil in the Fehmarnbelt was analysed through hundreds of drilling samples to ensure a completely accurate understanding of its properties and composition. Over the same period, a range of potential technical solutions for the link were studied. Bridges and both immersed and bored tunnels were assessed on price, risk, environmental impacts, and a range of other criteria. In 2011, it was decided that the Fehmarnbelt link should be built as an immersed tunnel. The reasons for this included the good experiences from the immersed tunnel on the Øresund link and because this type of tunnel has several advantages over a bridge, economically, in number of risks, and in operation. When the Fehmarnbelt tunnel

is completed, the journey between Rødbyhavn (Denmark) and Puttgarden (Germany) will take seven minutes by train and ten minutes by car. Road users and train passengers will save about one hour each way compared to the ferry crossing. The Fehmarnbelt link will also be open 24 hours a day as a tunnel is not a ected by wind or weather. When everything goes according to plans, the tunnel will be completed in 2029

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i. vanoord.com

A new it-girl on the market

Recently, the Windea Leibniz upgrade was completed at Ulstein Verft. With an increase of cabins from 63 to 81, the vessel has transitioned from an SOV to a Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV). Additionally, the yard has installed one extra pedestal on the stern for Baltic Sea operations to complement the existing, now height-adjustable, North Sea pedestal.

The upgrade expands the operational range of Windea Leibniz and makes her even more attractive for the o shore market. The upgrade included a 50% increase in accommodation capacities on board. Therefore, extensive reconstruction of

the changing/drying rooms, conference rooms and day rooms was executed. In total, the cabin capacity was increased from 63 to 81 cabins. Windea Leibniz is now enabled to accommodate up to 85 technical sta for wind farms, service personnel, and crew.

New pedestal

Another major milestone was the installation of a new height-adjustable pedestal for the motion-compensated gangway, making the vessel more flexible in o shore wind farms. Now the gangway can operate in a range

Photo courtesy of BSM/Matthias Glebichenstein.

With an increase of cabins from 63 to 81, Windea Leibniz has transitioned from an SOV to a Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV).

Baltic Sea, service platforms are generally lower located than in the North Sea.

More flexibility for deployment in di erent wind farm markets

of the pedestal also needed to be strengthened. The upgrades made a capable vessel even more versatile.

Windea Leibniz is now enabled to accommodate up to 85technical sta for windfarms, service personnel and crew.

between 17.5m and 23m height above the waterline when fully extended. When Bernhard Schulte O shore decided to install a second pedestal for the gangway at the stern, it was based on the knowledge that hardly any other operating o shore wind service vessels could take on assignments in the Baltic Sea as well as in the North Sea. In the

The existing gangway can be used on both pedestals. Rainer Mueller, Captain on the Windea Leibniz says, “With the two new pedestals, we are more flexible when approaching the service platforms for the wind turbines. There is no uniform standard for the height of the platforms in North Sea wind farms. After the yard stay, we can now vary the height of our gangway. With the Baltic pedestal at the stern, we can easily switch our gangway from the North Sea height to the lower Baltic Sea height, which makes us even more flexible when working in di erent wind farm regions. The new cabins allow us to accommodate more technicians on board. All this really makes Windea Leibniz the new it-girl on the CSOV market.”

Structural engineering work

Ulstein’s designers and engineers have been involved in the structural engineering work for this upgrade. This includes enforcement of the bridge to carry the gangway which is now parked on the bridge roof. The area for the base

“Thenew upgrades make a very capable vessel even more versatile. Now our Windea Leibniz is more flexible and attractive for the market. The upgrade was perfectly planned and executed by Ulstein. My thanks go to everyone involved in this great project”, says Matthias Mueller, Managing Director of Bernhard Schulte O shore.

Ready to support expansion

The Windea Leibniz is an Ulstein SX175 design from Ulstein Design & Solutions and was delivered as a newbuild from Ulstein Verft in 2017. She features the X-stern and X-bow solutions for increased comfort and reduced noise and vibrations and is also X-bow vessel number 100 from Ulstein Group. Windea Leibniz is now ready to support the planned o shore wind power expansion in Northern Europe. The vessel functions as a reliable and environmentally sound platform for wind farm operations and maintenance support, technician accommodation and transport, and the provision of safe and reliable access to o shore installations.

i. ulstein.com

i. bs-shipmanagement.com

Photo courtesy of BSM.

Installation of the new height-adjustable pedestal.

How to deal with cyber crime?

In the o shore industry, automation and digitalisation contribute to higher e ciency, sustainability, operability, and safety. However, there is a downside because the increasing digitalisation also entails a growing cyber security risk, which might ultimately also impact safety. This is of specific interest in times of geopolitical tensions.

In order to prevent o shore assets to be a target of cyber crime, their owners should take appropriate security measures and security specialist Secura (a Bureau Veritas Company) can help companies in their e orts.

Digital security

“In the past two decades, the development of automation and digitalisation have been taking large steps in most productions processes”, says Sjoerd Peerlkamp, Director Industrial Market Group at Secura. Secura acts as an independent, specialised security expert.

The company helps organisations improve their cyber resilience from a people, process, and technology perspective. Secura is active in all sectors and has a specific group focusing on industrial companies including critical infrastructure and renewables.

The company provides security advice, testing, training, and certification services.

Mr Peerlkamp continues, “The end of this development is not in sight yet as in this digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and autonomy are becoming increasingly important, also in

operational technology. This has many advantages for the industry, however it also o ers a new opportunity for bad actors to intrude o shore assets. And although this intrusion is only virtual, damage can be serious and even impact daily life.”

EU NIS 2 Directive

The fact that cyber crime is something to be taken seriously, is recognised by the European Parliament. As a result of this, the EU NIS2 Directive was approved and will come into e ect in Q4 2024 in all member states. The NIS2 Directive is

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SECURA UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

the EU-wide legislation on cyber security. It provides legal measures to boost the overall level of cyber security in the EU. The EU original cyber security rules introduced in 2016 (NIS Directive) were updated by this NIS2 Directive. It modernised the existing legal framework to keep up with increased digitisation and an evolving cyber security threat landscape. By expanding the scope of the cyber security rules to new sectors and entities, it further improves the resilience and incident response capacities of public and private entities, competent authorities, and the EU as a whole. The NIS2 Directive on measures for a high common level of cyber security across the Union provides legal measures to boost the overall level of cyber security in the EU. Businesses identified by the member states as operators of essential services (energy, transport, water, banking, financial market infrastructures, healthcare, and digital infrastructure) will have to take appropriate security measures and notify relevant national authorities of serious incidents. A new key aspect is that this also covers the supply chain of companies within scope. According to

Mr Peerlkamp, the EU NIS2 Directive certainly is a good step towards digital security in the energy industry. “However,” he says, “the restriction (and power) of this Directive lies in the words ‘appropriate security measures’, as this can be interpreted in many ways. What exactly is appropriate? You can only determine this with appropriate risk assessments relevant for your specific company. If done well, this is a very powerful way. However, we also see that the competency for appropriate risk assessments is not widespread yet and it should include people, process, and technical aspects.”

Reasons for hacking

Mr Peerlkamp continues, “When looking at the energy industry, several motives for threat actors can be described. First

of all, criminals want to gain financial profit, for example by deploying ransomware. A recent example of this is the Vestas case in 2021. This company discovered a cyber security incident which involved external attackers gaining unauthorised access to some of their IT systems. During the attack, data was illegally retrieved and the attackers threatened to publish the stolen data. In this case, we assume that money was the main objective of the hackers. The result of being hacked was that Vestas had to shut down various IT-systems which had a negative impact on its operation.” Another motive for hacking is geopolitical. “In the case of geopolitical reasons, hackers are trying to disrupt daily life as a form of digital warfare. For this purpose, hackers tend to take higher risks and put more e orts

in the intrusion”, Mr Peerlkamp elaborates. “The highly knitted European electricity network for example is a possible target. When intruded successfully, hackers can completely shut down the power supply by disrupting su cient capacity. Taking the right measures is not easy because of the extensiveness of the network and the many parties and institutions involved to balance the grid. From grid operators, to production companies like o shore wind farms, to even domestic solar inverter manufacturers. If an attacker can control su cient capacity at once, this could potentially result in a blackout. An important question in this matter is how to limit the e ects of a potential breach. By isolating critical systems from commodity systems in the right way, the potential impact on your core business processes will be reduced for example.”

IEC 62443

When looking at cyber security, governmental regulators are asking for more appropriate and fitting measures

“To keep assets hack-proof, it is also important for companies to know what measures their suppliers and (sub)contractors are taking to keep their products and processes secure”

Sjoerd Peerlkamp

– Director Industrial Market Group at Secura.

Sjoerd Peerlkamp is Director Industrial Market Group at Secura.

and, according to Mr Peerlkamp, companies in the o shore industry also depend on suppliers and (sub) contractors for this. “To protect your assets, it is also important for companies to know what measures their suppliers and (sub) contractors are taking to keep their components and processes secure”, Mr Peerlkamp says. “For this, certification according to the IEC 62443 standard can help as this is very extensive on product level as well as on system level. Secura can support companies in getting certified. The first step we take is to assess the current security maturity. The next step would then be a roadmap to improve the most relevant topics. We are a strong advocate of taking the right security measures already in the design or procurement phase of a product or system instead of taking measures afterwards. This way, you do not have to take additional measures in later stages. And with IEC 62443 certified components or systems, vendors can even di erentiate themselves in the landscape where cyber security is becoming more and more important, like the o shore assets.”

O shore risks

According to Mr Peerlkamp, one of the biggest di erences between working onshore and o shore is the remote operations of assets and how this influences cyber security. “When something wrong is noticed at an onshore asset,” he voices, “it is easy for a technician to go to the location to see what is wrong and to take the right measures. You can also disable the remote programming mode on various types of devices as you hardly need it and can send an engineer on site in emergency situations. O shore, this is very expensive and also more dangerous. This is why more and more o shore assets are monitored and fully operated remotely from onshore control centres. The more you can control remotely, the higher the risk and impact of a successful attack. When looking at cyber security, this is a potential risk which demands for higher security measures compared with onshore operations. Remote o shore operations also are dealing with limited network capacity which makes software updates and security monitoring more complex. Another risk in o shore operations lies in the fact that o shore assets are sold relatively often, which

Cybersecurity Demo kit used by Secura in for example, the two-day Operational Technology Cyber Security Fundamentals training.

requires integration and interconnecting di erent systems and vendors. In case of buying or renting an o shore asset, one should not only look at the technical condition but also at the state of the cyber security measures. cyber security should be part of the technical due diligence process.”

Purdue model

Secura has ample knowledge in helping companies to be better protected against cyber crimes. “When looking at our customers’ operations, we often use the so-called Purdue model from the IEC 62443 standard”, Mr Peerlkamp explains. “This model was designed as a reference model for data flows in computerintegrated manufacturing (CIM), where a plant’s processes are automated. It came to define the standard for building a network architecture in a way that supports OT (operations technology) security. The Purdue model is a structural model for industrial control system (ICS) security that concerns segmentation of physical processes, sensors, supervisory controls, operations, and logistics. For a long time, this has been regarded as a key framework for ICS network segmentation to protect operational technology (OT). Implemented correctly, it helps establish ‘barriers’ between

ICS/OT and IT systems. There are also more specific measures to be applied to o shore wind. One of those measures is that wind turbines are no longer connected individually to the internet but connected to a central control room. Also, anomaly based security monitoring can help identifying potential security breaches. Among other things, it makes visible what has been changed, removed or added and if uncommon activities are taking place.”

Threat Modeling

Another method used by Secura is Threat Modeling. “When securing an application, system or the complete chain, it is important to know from which perspective threats arise and how a system can be attacked by hackers”, Mr Peerlkamp says. “Threat Modeling gives a complete picture of the threats and possible attack paths. During threat modelling, you not only look at the regular ‘use cases’, but also how an attacker could abuse this functionality. We call that the ‘abuse cases’. So instead of thinking ‘what should we be able to do’, people should learn to think ‘what do we not want the attacker to be able to do’, which indeed is quite a change of mindset. These attack paths can subsequently be used for instance to create e cient penetration testing

scenarios, design adjustments, or to define additional mitigating measures.”

Security training

When looking at security, human behaviour is of course also an important aspect. Therefore, Secura organises various forms of training to stimulate secure behaviour. This ranges from very broad programs targeting secure behaviour across various employee groups to more technical and security specific training like a training on the IEC62443 standard. “One of top-rated trainings is the OT Cyber Security Fundamentals training which is an eye opener for many engineers and asset owners. It even contains a small real industrial control environment where concepts like threat modelling and realworld attacks are applied during the training. All in all, we see that cyber security is getting more and more traction, at the legislators and regulators, as well as at the various companies we serve”, Mr Peerlkamp states. “Digitisation unlocks a world of potential, but also introduces new risks. Cyber security became a board room topic and is a critical success factor for any digitised business. As part of Bureau Veritas, Secura is shaping a world of trust.”

i. secura.com

One of the biggest differences between working onshore and offshore is the remote operations of assets and this influences cyber security.

Photo courtesy of Iberdrola.

WindSpider: self-erecting crane system for wind turbines

For bottom-fixed and floating o shore wind projects, the availability of specialised cranes could become a bottleneck. That is why RWE has recently signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with WindSpider.

This Norwegian based company is developing a new modular selferecting crane system, which surrounds the wind turbine tower like the web of a spider and can be used on land as well as at sea. Phillipa Slater, Director Engineering of RWE Renewables, says, “RWE is one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, and we actively promote innovation across our global fleet. With our expertise and technical know-how, we are excited to explore potential collaboration with WindSpider and to further develop the concept design.” “We are very pleased with this opportunity to collaborate with RWE. This will allow for increased momentum in the ongoing development of our technology”, says Kent Lynggaard Vinkel, CEO of WindSpider. His colleague, CFO & CCO André Ølberg, adds, “We are looking forward to working for and

together with RWE to bring this important innovation to the market.”

Next generation turbines

The WindSpider crane is a scalable, flexible, and modular self-erecting solution using the tower of the wind turbine as part of the crane when performing installation, maintenance, re-powering, and decommissioning of wind turbines. The WindSpider attaches to the tower and moves up and down using mast sections. The WindSpider deck can be mounted on the transition piece or tower, or it can be integrated with the floater of a floating wind turbine. With an e ective lifting capacity of more than 1,200t at +200m height, and by eliminating relative motion between crane and tower, the design is in a good position for supporting the next generation of turbines.

Broad range of vessels

At each step upwards, the WindSpider lifts the next or desired section of the tower or turbine, including the rotor blades, in place. After the job is done the WindSpider reverses the process back to the starting point at the base and is lifted o . As the WindSpider is part of the wind turbine tower, there are no relative movements between the WindSpider crane and the wind turbine when lifting components. Also, the concept eliminates the need for large and expensive jack-up vessels, and it can be used with a broad range of vessel types for installation and maintenance because high lift from vessels is not required. Using the WindSpider reduces installation and maintenance cost by more than 50%.

The WindSpider crane is a scalable, flexible, and modular self-erecting solution using the tower of the wind turbine as part of the crane.

BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT CELEROS FLOW TECHNOLOGY

The US Department of the Interior has named Elizabeth Klein as Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). She succeeds Amanda Lefton, who served as the first BOEM Director in the Biden administration. An experienced attorney, prior to joining the administration 20 January 2021,

MsKlein served as Deputy Director of the non-partisan State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law, which supports state Attorneys General in addressing clean energy, climate, and environmental initiatives of regional and national importance.

ICR INTEGRITY

ICR Integrity (ICR), a technology-enabled provider of specialist maintenance, inspection and integrity solutions, has announced the appointment of Gemma Neal as Head of Marketing and Communications. In her new role, she will implement a comprehensive group-wide global strategy to support ICR globally while also driving its initiatives in the energy transition. Latterly Head of Marketing at Vysus Group, she led the global rebranding from Lloyd’s Register Energy and worked across the business to support international business streams.

Celeros Flow Technology has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Rich Morin as its new Chief Operations O cer (COO). Based in Houston, TX, he will provide leadership and direction for the full scope of fulfilment activities across Celeros FT’s Pumps, Valves and Closures product groups.

Mr Morin brings a strong track record of successful results and over 25 years of experience in a variety of energy markets to his new role. He most recently served as the Vice President of Oilfield Equipment Enterprise Operations at Baker Hughes before joining the Celeros FT team.

The Supervisory Board of wpd has prematurely extended the contract with Björn Nullmeyer until 2027 ahead of schedule. On the management board, Björn Nullmeyer is responsible for finance, treasury, group controlling/ planning, taxes and transfer prices, accounting, and human resources. Further priorities in his work with the CEO include the expansion of business in Asia as well as potential purchase opportunities (pipeline) in the areas of onshore wind and solar.

ECITB WÄRTSILÄ

Andy Brown will take over as its Interim CEO at the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).

Mr Brown has been in engineering since 1982 when he joined the Royal Air Force as an aircraft technician. During his career he developed technical training and competence schemes before leading an engineering training school. He joined the ECITB in 2006 and became Director of Operations in 2013. As Interim CEO, his focuswill be delivering the ECITB Strategy 2023-2025.

DRÄGER MARINE & OFFSHORE

Dräger Marine & O shore is ensuring the safety of organisations as they work to adapt to the energy transition with the creation of a new role. Megan Hine, who was previously Account Manager – Fixed Gas Detection Systems, has taken on the role of UK Business Development Manager Clean Energy, with a focus on ensuring companies are aware of potential challenges and safety considerations as early in the process as possible. Her new role covers the entire Dräger safety portfolio including o shore fire, fixed gas, breathing apparatus, and marine lifesaving equipment.

Wärtsilä has appointed Saara Tahvanainen as Executive Vice President, Marketing and Communications and member of Board of Management. Ms Tahvanainen will commence in her role latest by the end of June 2023 and she will report to Wärtsilä’s President & CEO Håkan Agnevall. Ms Tahvanainen has extensive experience in the field of communication, branding, and marketing. She joins Wärtsilä from UPM, where she holds the position of Vice President for stakeholder relations, communications, and marketing.

AKER SOLUTIONS

Hallvard Norum has been appointed Head of Media and Channels at Aker Solutions. Mr Norum comes from a position as climate and economics journalist at the Norwegian Broadcasting Company (NRK). As Head of Media and Channels, he will work with communications through Aker Solutions’ o cial channels, press work and internal communication. He will report to Senior Vice President Communications Kari Ertresvåg.

Gemma Neal Head of Marketing & Communications

Elizabeth Klein Director

Björn Nullmeyer Member Management Board

Rich Morin Chief Operations Officer

Andy Brown Interim CEO

Megan Hine

UK Business Development Manager Clean Energy

Hallvard Norum Head of Media and Channels

Saara Tahvanainen Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications

THE YELLOW & FINCH PAGES

decisive lead in experience, product range and customer service.

catalytic converters, particulate filters, selective catalytic reduction systems and related instrumentation.

ADS VAN STIGT

Avelingen-West 30

4202 MS Gorinchem

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)183 650 000

E info@vanstigt.com

I www.vanstigt.com

Contact: Sander Snoek

ADS van STIGT was founded in 1970 with the main activity in transmissions and gearboxes for maritime and industrial applications. This is still an importent activity of ADS van STIGT, but a significant number of other products have been added to the range, such as planetary gearboxes, pump drives, control systems, monitoring systems, controllable pitch propellers, thruster systems, carbon fibre shafts, dampers, elastic couplings and sensors. ADS van STIGT’s expertise ranges from pleasure to mega yachts, and from fishery to commercial shipping, offshore, and dredging. A well-equipped service team is supporting the sales activities worldwide.

ADS van STIGT is competence centre for: Masson, Bonfiglioli, O&K, Plöger, Horn, Schaller, Katsa, Geislinger, Durst and ZF.

BREMAN MACHINERY B.V.

Sasdijk 20, 8281 BM Genemuiden, The Netherlands

P.O.Box 135, 8280 AC Genemuiden, The Netherlands

T +31 (0)88-27 36 200

E info@breman-machinery.nl

I www.breman-machinery.nl

Great challenges need sophisticated solutions, the work of a specialist.

Breman Machinery fabricates critical steel components with exceptional dimensions and extreme accuracy. This is the daily job of our craftsmen. Through our unique capabilities regarding machining, welding, conservation and assembling we serve our customers to make their ambitions reality.

The welders of high-quality steel are qualified by Lloyd’s Register or DNV for all welding positions. With 30 milling, boring and turning machines we have the possibility to offer unique services. Our preservation department can protect your projects. Our location is beside open water, we have a direct connection to the international ports. High quality is one of our most portant standards!

The Emigreen Alfa Alfa burner assisted soot filter system has set the standard for others to beat. All Emigreen solutions are highly efficient, highly reliable and highly controllable, whether designed for an inland barge, shortsea carrier or luxury yacht. Emigreen links science and the market

climate ‘indoors’ will perfectly meet the needs of people and products alike, whatever the weather outside. Heinen & Hopman offers a worldwide, 24/7 service via a network of subsidiaries and sales centres.

ANCOFERWALDRAM STEELPLATES B.V.

P.O. Box 190

4900 AD Oosterhout

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)162 491 500

F +31 (0)162 429 806

E sales@aws.dillinger.biz

I www.ancoferwaldram.com

Over 100,000 tons of quality heavy steel plates in stock

AncoferWaldram Steelplates B.V. (AWS) is a stockholding wholesaler and steel service center, specializing in the supply of hot-rolled heavy carbon steel (quarto) plates, and profiled parts for more than 40 years now. Over the years, AWS has developed into a business that sets the standard for its industry.

Plates from stock or profiled parts

The choice is yours! It is the combination of comprehensive stocks of over 100,000 tons of heavy carbon steel plates plus the sophisticated profiling plant that gives AWS a

EMIGREEN B.V.

Noordeinde 19

3341 LW Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)184 415 317

F +31 (0)184 415 582

E info@emigreen.eu

I www.emigreen.eu

Contact: Niko J. Dalpis

Emission Control Technology

Emigreen produces customised, integrated emission control solutions, for, among others, the maritime sector. Emigreen also provides services including design, specification, production, installation instruction, training and aftersales. Emigreen has expertise in emission control technologies, flow dynamics, thermodynamics and noise and vibration control. Emigreen develops and tests components including

DELTA SUBSEA

550 Club Dr, Suite 345 Montgomery, Texas 77316, USA

T +1936-582-7237

I www.deltasubsea-rov.com

Delta SubSea (DSS) is a leading integrated independent provider of ROV Services and Solutions. Delta SubSea’s ROV fleet is focused on solutions for customers in the inspection, repair and maintenance, construction, drilling and decommissioning market segments. In addition to ROV Services, DSS also provides Subsea Project Management, Subsea Project Support Services, Subject Matter Experts and Client Representation for Diving/ROV/Subsea Construction.

HUBEL MARINE B.V.

Karel Doormanweg 5, 2nd Floor

3115 JD Schiedam

P.O. Box 3219

3003 AE Rotterdam

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)10 458 7338

F +31 (0)10 458 7662

E info@hubelmarine.com

I www.hubelmarine.com

Twitter: HubelMarine

Contact: Mr Erik A. de Koning

M +31 (0)6 53724457

Hubel Marine is a full-service firm for advice regarding Vessel Registration, Mortgage Registration, Seafarer Endorsements and Technical Flag State matters. We represent the flags of Panama, Belize and St.Kitts & Nevis. We are fully authorised to perform Safety Surveys and issue Statutory & Class Certification including ISM, ISPS and MLC audits. We provide services for any type or tonnage of vessel worldwide.

HEINEN & HOPMAN

Produktieweg 12

3751 LN Spakenburg

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)33 299 25 00

F +31 (0)33 299 25 99

E pr@heinenhopman.com

I www.heinenhopman.com

Contact: J.W.E. Hopman

Heinen & Hopman Engineering is a world leader in air conditioning, mechanical ventilation,central heating, refrigeration, sanitary systems, fire protection, environmental systems and air duct cleaning. Founded in 1965, the company is renowned for being an innovator in the design, engineering and installation of customised solutions. We work in four specialist areas: –Superyachts.

–Commercial shipping. –Offshore industry. –Navy vessels. Our mission is to ensure that the

NICOVERKEN MARINE SERVICES BV Algerastraat 20

3125 BS Schiedam

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)10 238 0999

F +31 (0)10 238 0988

E info@nicoverken.nl

I www.nicoverken.nl

Contact: Jacco Vermunt

Distributor, 24/7 service & spare parts agent of marine equipment.

In our programme there are stainless steel marine pipes and drains, filtration, anti-fouling & cathodic protection, reverse osmosis desalinators (water makers), wastewater treatment, vacuum sanitary systems for yachts, deck equipment (doors & hatches) and watertight sliding door systems.

Our Ship Repair department is specialised in the overhaul of all types of main and auxiliary engines, including attachments i.e. governors, turbochargers, fuel equipment and the sales of spare parts and engines.

We are capable of crankshaft grinding. Our service is 24/7 worldwide!

Sterntubeswith sealings and bearings

Shaft brackets complete

GearboxesBrand ZF

I www.seaway7.com

ORGA OFFSHORE

Strickledeweg 13

3125 AT Schiedam

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)10 208 5566

F +31 (0)10 437 8445

E offshore@orga.nl

I www.orga-offshore.nl

Contact: Cindy Jouvenaar-Heskes

Driving innovation with safety always in mind

Dutch company Orga has over 40 years’ experience providing customised explosion-proof safety lighting and aids with navigation solutions for the offshore oil and gas industries. Widely used around the world, Orga products meet all local and international code requirements providing robust, reliable and cost effective service in some of the harshest offshore environments. With increasing demands from the oil and gas industries for pioneering technology, improved safety and reduced total cost of ownership, Orga’s continuing drive for innovation has developed the very latest cuttingedge in helideck lighting, marine navigational aids and remote power systems. For more information please visit www.orga-offshore.nl

RHB STEVEDORING & WAREHOUSING

Waalhaven N.Z. 4

3087 BL Rotterdam

Portnumber 2157

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)10 429 94 33

F +31 (0)10 429 02 61

E office@rhb.nl

I www.rhb.nl

rhb stevedoring & warehousing is your independent partner for project cargoes, heavy lifts and assisting offshore vessels during mobilisation or demobilisation. Our private terminal with 730 metres quay length is equipped with own shore cranes up to 208 tons. Floating cranes up to 1,500 tons are available.

Seaway 7, the renewables business unit of Subsea 7, is a capable and experienced partner for the delivery of fixed and floating offshore windfarm projects, as well as a provider of specialist heavy lifting and cable installation services. With combined expertise in project management, engineering, procurement, fabrication, heavy lifting and cable installation services, Seaway 7 can deliver these services in a comprehensive array of contractual structures including engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI), transportation & installation (T&I), and balance of plant (BoP) to our clients in the offshore renewables sector.

manufacturer and supplier of high performance roundsling for heavy & shipping building industries. We have been supplying high performance roundslings to major heavy industries companies and projects in Korea and Asia.

Our Suprime roundsling with Ultrapowerful Poly Arylate fiber is highly recognized from many customers due to its excellent performance, the maximum lightening, the optimum handing efficiency (slim in size) and optional functions such as anti-cutting, anti-flame and multi-checking.

PIENING PROPELLER

Am Altendeich 83

D-25348 Glueckstadt, Germany

T +49 4124 9168-0

F +49 4124 3716

E pein@piening-propeller.de

I piening-propeller.de

Contact: Mathias Pein

Noise reduction relies upon the quiet operation of a yacht´s propulsion system.

Piening Propeller fulfils its briefs in: Consideration of all hydrodynamic aspects during the design and an accurate manufacturing of propellers and shafts according to highest ISO classes.The company is approved by all common classification societies. Repairs and adjustments of propellers are done with the same care as new buildings. Piening Propellers scope of supply includes:

PropellersFPP > 800mm Ø

CPP > 1.100mm Ø

Shaftsup to a several length of 16,000mm

ROMETAL B.V.

Quarantaineweg 10

3089 KP Rotterdam

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)10 316 46 00

E sales@rometal.nl

I www.rometal.nl

Contact: Martijn van Manen

We are your partner in delivering all kinds of high-tension (S690, S890 and S960) steel structures and even inclusive electrical and hydraulics, if so required. We can be your turn-key partner in the supply, engineering and on-board installation of heavy lift equipment, land and offshore wind structures and (de)mobilisations. Also complete document control according to the class bodies lies in our expertise. With our two facilities we have all disciplines in house to enable us to serve our clients in an efficient and reliable way. We are completely certified according to our customer standard. For more details, please phone us and/or check our website: www.rometal.nl.

SSC STEEL SHAPE CUTTERS BV

‘s-Gravendeelsedijk 200

3316 AZ Dordrecht

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)85 760 3226

E staat@ssc.nl

I www.steelshapecutters.nl

Contact: Peter Staat

SSC Steel Shape Cutters BV is a new, competent provider of 3D-profiling: computer-controlled machine cutting of tubes, beams, hollow sections and plate. Subcontracting does not have to cost a lot, and it will bring substantial savings! With two state-of-the-art machines, we offer a huge range, superb accuracy, and great efficiency. Round tubes up to Ø 2,500mm OD, with thicknesses of up to 150mm (oxyfuel and plasma), and robot cutting of beams and sections up to 1,200mm wide, plate up to 1,200mm wide and 3,000mm long. Fast, accurate, and cost effective.

G.J. WORTELBOER JR. B.V.

Quarantaineweg 5, 3089 KP Rotterdam

P.O. Box 5003, 3008 AA Rotterdam

Harbournr: 2637

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)10 429 2222

F +31 (0)10 429 6459

E info@wortelboer.nl

I www.wortelboer.nl

Every now and then anchors and chains must be replaced, so we understand your need for quality and speedy delivery. Wortelboer has what you are looking for. Our enormous stock of anchors and chain cables of all sizes and diameters in both our Rotterdam and China ports gives you the certainty that we can deliver the required materials very quickly and to any port in the world! All our materials are approved by any of the well-known class societies such as LRS, BV, RINA, DNV/GL, ABS and RMRS.

Do you have problems with finding the right anchors? Could you use a hand while fitting anchors and chain cables aboard your vessel? We are more than happy to help you with it.

Wortelboer has been a reliable partner in the shipping industry for more than 50 years. And that is why our customers keep coming back for more.

SEAWAY 7

Louis Pasteurlaan 7

2719 EE Zoetermeer

The Netherlands

T +31 (0)79 363 7700

E bd@subsea7.com

SUHBO INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 6, Mipyeong-ro, 106 beon-gil, Wonsam-Myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Kyunggi-do

Korea

T +82 31 334 6979

F +82 31 334 1789

M +82 10 4999 6979 (Korea), +61 434 509 501 (Australia)

E joeykim@suhbo.co.kr

I www.suhbo.co.kr

Contact: Joey Kim, Export Sales Manager

Established in 1985, Suhbo Industrial Co., Ltd is the major leading Korean

Do you need anchors and chain cables? Come to WORTELBOER.

NEXT ISSUES

We have already started preparing our upcoming issues of O shore Industry. Below you will find some of the main topics we are planning to cover. Please feel free to provide our editorial sta with any relevant information, so they can take your input into consideration for publication. Our commercial department will be happy to assist you with your marketing needs.

O shore Industry – Issue 2, 2023

• OTC Houston & OMC Ravenna

• O shore crew transfer

• Operations & maintenance

• Heavy lifting & transport

• Marine energy & o shore solar energy

Copy deadline: 01 March 2023

Advertisement deadline: 22 March 2023

Release date: 25 April 2023

O shore Industry – Issue 3, 2023

• O shore Europe Aberdeen

• O shore regions: the Netherlands

• O shore construction

• Research, development & consenting

• Cranes & winches

Copy deadline: 07 June 2023

Advertisement deadline: 28 June 2023

Release date: 01 August 2023

Subjects can be changed without prior notice.

COLOPHON

COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

MARCO GEELS | Director marco@ynfpublishers.com

ROB DE KERF | Account Manager rob@ynfpublishers.com

EDITORS

ARNO DIRKZWAGER arno@ynfpublishers.com

DANIELA MARKOVIC daniela@ynfpublishers.com

DESIGN

NATHALIE PUTMAN | Art Director nathaliep@ynfpublishers.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

To subscribe, send an email to subscribe@ynfpublishers.com. Subscriptions will be automatically renewed unless written cancellation is given three months prior to expiry date. Annual subsciption is EUR 110

COPYRIGHT & DISCLAIMER

Offshore Industry is owned and published by Yellow & Finch Publishers.

The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights in regards to copyright of their work. No part of this work covered by the copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written consent of the publisher. No person, organisation or party should rely or on any way act upon any part of the contents of this publication whether that information is sourced from the website, magazine or related product without first obtaining the advice of a fully qualified person.

This magazine and its related website and products are sold and distributed on the terms and condition that:

–The publisher, contributors, editors and related parties are not responsible in any way for the actions or results taken any person, organisation or any party on basis of reading information, stories or contributions in this publication, website or related product.

–The publisher, contributors and related parties are not engaged in providing legal, financial or professional advice or services. The publisher, contributors, editors and consultants disclaim any and all liability and responsibility to any person or party, be they a purchaser, reader, advertiser or consumer of this publication or not in regards to the consequences and outcomes of anything done or omitted being in reliance whether partly or solely on the contents of this publication ands related website and products.

–The publisher, editors, contributors and related parties shall have no responsibility for any action or omission by any other contributor, consultant, editor or related party.

Yellow & Finch Publishers is a member of the Netherlands’ Industrial Press Association (VIP).

ISSN: 1877-1459

Copyright 2023 Yellow & Finch Publishers

Photo courtesy of Elia.

Photo courtesy of OTC Houston.

Europort 2023 Marketing opportunities

Europort has two official publications that will be released during this year’s show; the EXHIBITION GUIDE and the EUROPORT Daily News. Now is your chance to secure your contribution.

The EXHIBITION GUIDE is a compact, pocket-sized booklet with clear and brief directions to easily find every exhibitor.

• 20,000 distributed copies

• Alphabetical list of exhibitors per hall with respective booth number

• Programme schedule

• General floor-plan and detailed floor-plan of each individual hall

• Ads starting at € 600,-

Modular spreader beams up to 3,000t – Shackles up to 2,000t Grommets & roundslings – ROV hooks & shackles

Cherry pickers – Telehandlers – Waterpumps – Generators

Waterbags – Testweights – Pontoons – Fenders – Gangways

Snatchblocks – Lifting frames – Multi lugs – Hoists – Swivels

Masterlinks – Hydraulics – Container spreaders – Light towers

THE MOST COMPLETE RENTAL & LEASE SOLUTIONS FOR HEAVY LIFT EQUIPMENT

Safe Lifting Europe B.V. is aiming to become carbon neutral by having the largest rental fleet of heavy lift equipment, which guarantees sustainability and the fastest route in your quest, with any type of demands. Many of our clients have already optimised their business and have chosen Safe Lifting Europe B.V. for their special heavy lift equipment needs. Interested in learning how renting or leasing your heavy lift equipment can lead to more sustainability? Inform about the possibilities for short- and long-term rental or lease of our heavy lift equipment via rental@safelifting.eu.