Growing Volume of Work from Renewables Sector for Dutch Offshore Contractors

As well as occupying a leading position in the oil and gas installation market, over the past years, Dutch offshore contractors have also more than earned their spurs in the wind energy sector. Wherever offshore windfarms are built, one or more of these companies inevitably plays an important role. And as things look now, the same development is set to take place in the offshore decommissioning market. Allseas, Heerema Marine Contractors and Seaway Heavy Lifting, in particular, have attracted attention in this market.

Without doubt, the innovative single-lift installation/ decommissioning and pipelaying vessel Pioneering Spirit operated by Allseas attracted most attention in 2016. Following an intensive installation, commissioning and testing period for the topside lifting system in Rotterdam’s Alexiahaven, the vessel set to sea on 6 August 2016 to perform offshore trials which included a series of test platform topside installation and removal exercises, in varying weather conditions. Following the successful

completion of these sea trials, the vessel set sail for the Norwegian Yme field to undertake its first large-scale topside removal operation. The removal involved the 13,500-tonne topside of the Yme Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU) owned by Repsol. On 22 August, the Pioneering Spirit successfully executed her maiden heavy-lift project. The Yme topside was then transported to the Lutelandet base in Norway, before the Pioneering Spirit once again set course for the port of Rotterdam.

Meanwhile, Allseas has already signed a whole series of contracts for the deployment of the Pioneering Spirit, including the removal of four topsides, weighing between 16,000 and 30,000 tonnes, and a jacket from the Brent platforms in the UK sector of the North Sea. And on behalf of Statoil, three large topsides have to be installed for the Johan Svendrup project in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Another planned project is the installation of a topside in Canadian waters. In addition, the Pioneering Spirit is set to be deployed as a pipelaying vessel. Therefore the Dutch contractor has already been awarded contracts to lay the first and second lines of the TurkStream offshore gas pipeline in the Black Sea. These pipelines, between Russia and Turkey, will be more than 900 kilometres long. And at the end of 2016, Allseas has made a start on installing the almost 300 kilometre-long gas pipeline between the Brazilian Santos Basin and a refinery close to Rio de Janeiro. The pipelaying vessels Solitaire and Tog Mor have been deployed for this task. Other major contracts awarded to Allseas include the construction of a 700 kilometre-long gas pipeline from a location near Brownsville in the American State of Texas, to Tuxpan in Mexico, via the Gulf of Mexico. This work will also be carried out by the Solitaire and the Tog Mor. Elsewhere, Allseas will be installing the 1,200 kilometre-long pipelines through the Baltic as part of the NordStream 2 project. These pipelines will link Vyborg in Russia with Lubmin in Northern Germany.

Installation projects In 2016, Heerema Marine Contractors was particularly active in a series of offshore installation projects. After the semi-submersible crane vessel Thialf had installed the new Alba B2 platform off the coast of Equatorial Guinea, a number of installation projects were undertaken in Western European waters. In May, for example, the 8,500-tonne Montrose A topside was installed in the British sector of the North Sea, followed shortly afterwards by a whole number of large topside modules for the Clair Ridge project off the western coast of the Shetland Islands. In August, the Thialf was deployed for the decommissioning of the Murchison oil and gas production platform in the British sector of the North Sea. The modules from this platform were transported to Vats in Norway. Over the coming period, the Thialf is set to be deployed installing the four jackets of the Johan Sverdrup platforms, in Norwegian waters. The semi-submersible crane vessel Hermod was deployed for a variety of tasks in 2016, including installation work for the DolWin gamma Offshore Wind Farm, while the Balder

underwent a life-time extension programme in the port of Rotterdam. In April 2016, the deepwater construction vessel Aegir installed the last 18 inch-diameter production flowline, thereby completing the infield flowline scope for the INPEX Ichtys LNG project in Australia. As part of this project, the Aegir undertook both heavy-lift work and J-lay and Reel-lay work. Also off the coast of Australia, the Aegir installed the 16 mooring piles for the Prelude FPSO and off the coast of Vietnam, three modules for a platform in the Su Tu Trang field. Finally, Heerema Marine Contractors signed a contract to remove the Huldra platform from the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, in 2019. Currently under construction at the Sembcorp yard in Singapore, on behalf of this contractor, is the Sleipnir, the world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessel. This 220 metre-long vessel will be equipped with two revolving cranes from Huisman, each with a lifting capacity of 10,000 tonnes.

Seaway Heavy Lifting has been deeply involved in the offshore wind energy sector for a number of years, carrying out installation work on both wind turbines and transformer stations. In May 2016, for example, the crane vessel Stanislav Yudin was deployed on the North Sea to install the jacket and the topside of the Sandbank Offshore Wind Farm transformer station, and one month later in the Irish Sea, the jacket and topside of the Burbobank Offshore Wind Farm transformer station. The crane vessel Oleg Strashnov carried out equivalent tasks for the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm in the UK sector of the North Sea. In May 2016, it was announced that together with Seaway Heavy Lifting, Subsea 7 would be carrying out the EPCI contract for the construction of the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm in the Outer Moray Firth in Scotland. As part of this project, in the 2017/2018 period, Seaway Heavy Lifting will be deploying both the Stanislav Yudin and the Oleg Strashnov. A second EPCI contract was awarded to these partners, in November 2016, for the construction of the Trianel Windpark Borkum II in the German sector of the North Sea. This work will be undertaken in May 2018, by the Stanislav Yudin. In 2016, Seaway Heavy Lifting reached the milestone of installing its 25 th transformer

Dredgers The well-known Dutch dredging contractors Royal Boskalis Westminster and Van Oord have been hard at work for several years serving the offshore oil and gas industry and wind energy sector. Boskalis, for example, was contracted by the National Petroleum Construction Company from Abu Dhabi to carry out dredging works related to the installation of an offshore gas pipeline owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company as well as work on an existing offshore gas pipeline. Off the coast of Vietnam, the floating crane Asian Hercules III installed a 4,200-tonne topside module and an 850-tonne living quarters in the Thien Ung field, in 2016. Boskalis also announced that in response to developments in the offshore wind energy sector one of the F-class heavy transport vessels operated by its subsidiary Dockwise would be converted into an offshore installation vessel. To fulfil this role, the vessel will be equipped with an offshore crane from Huisman, with a lifting capacity of 3,000 tonnes. This vessel will first be available for deployment at the end of 2017. A new

subsea IRM contract was signed with Maersk Oil for the provision of air and saturation diving services in Danish waters, between 2016 and 2019. To carry out this work, the subsea support vessels Constructor and Protea are due to be deployed. New orders were also obtained from the wind energy sector, including assignments to carry out transport and installation work for the Wikinger Offshore Wind Farm in the German section of the Baltic. For this project, the Giant 7 equipped with a 1000-tonne crane and the floating sheerlegs Taklift 4 are to be deployed. This work was in fact already started in 2016. Elsewhere, Boskalis was identified as preferred contractor for the construction of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre off the coast of Aberdeen. In July, Boskalis strengthened its position in the offshore wind energy sector by acquiring the offshore activities of VolkerWessels. As a result, Boskalis has acquired full ownership of VolkerStevin International, Stemat and VBMS. In November 2016, Boskalis was also awarded an innovation prize during the IHSDPC Innovation Awards ceremony in London, for its multifunctional, multi-deployable offshore support vessels Ndurance and Ndeavour.

Over the past few years, Van Oord has developed into a leading EPCI contractor in de offshore wind energy sector. In 2016, for example, the construction of the large Gemini Offshore Wind Farm off the northern coast of the Netherlands was successfully concluded. This farm consists of 150 4 MW Siemens turbines and two substations. To complete this job, Van Oord deployed an array of vessels, including its own wind turbine installation vessel Aeolus and the cable layer Nexus. New contracts were signed for the transport and installation of 60 monopiles and transition pieces for the Arkona Offshore Wind Farm in German waters, a project for which the heavy-lift vessel Svanen is due to be deployed. Van Oord is also set to install the Deutsche Bucht Offshore Wind Farm, together with Highland Group Holdings, in the sea area known as the German Bight. Van Oord will be responsible for the design, delivery and installation of the foundations and the electrical infrastructure, including the offshore substation. An EPCI contract was also signed for the complete construction of the Norther Offshore Wind Farm, off the coast of Belgium.

Together with Seajacks International, Van Oord will be transporting and installing 102 jackets for the East Anglia One Offshore Wind Farm. This work will be carried out by the world’s largest wind turbine installation vessel

Seajacks Scylla, built according to a Dutch design. Together with Shell, Van Oord will also be installing the Borssele 3 and 4 Offshore Wind Farms, off the Dutch coast, and as part of the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm project in the Irish Sea, the company will be transporting and installing 87 foundations. Off the northern coast of Egypt, Van Oord will be carrying out subsea rock installation work for the West Nile Delta project, and creating a landfall, all with the assistance of the flexible fallpipe vessel Stornes. Van Oord expects to take delivery in the near future of a brand-new subsea rock installation vessel, currently under construction in China, and due to be christened the Bravenes.

For its part, as part of the Hornsea Project One Offshore Wind Farm, Tideway will be laying cables with its new cable lay vessel the Living Stone. This windfarm is currently being constructed off the coast of the English county of Yorkshire.

Cable layers The leading position in the market for the laying of offshore cables, acquired by Boskalis subsidiary VBMS in just a few short years, is an unmatched success story. Projects undertaken in 2016 in this field included the laying of two 150 kV HVAC cables, each with a length of 16 kilometres, for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm off the coast of Worthing in the UK, and the laying of 76 interarray cables in the Sandbank Offshore Wind Farm. The cable layers Ndurance and Ndeavour were deployed on this particular project. VBMS was also responsible for making two landfalls at Sunville as part of the installation of an interconnector between France and Jersey. On the back of that project, an impressive series of new cable laying contracts were signed. Examples include the laying of 65 inter-array cables for the Arkona Offshore Wind Farm in the Baltic, 87 inter-array cables for the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm in the Irish Sea, and the inter-array cables for the Horns Rev 3 offshore Wind Farm in the Danish sector of the North Sea, as well as a 14 kilometre-long export cable for the Blyth Offshore Wind Farm in English waters, the two 61 kilometre-long export cables for the Borssele Alpha project off the Dutch coast, a 50 kilometre-long export cable that serves as an interconnector between the Krieger Flak Offshore Wind Farm and the Baltic 2 Offshore Wind Farm in the Baltic, 102 inter-array cables for the East Anglia ONE Offshore Wind Farm and finally, 79 inter-array cables for the EnBW Hohe See Offshore Wind Farm in the German Bight.

Surveyors As an offshore contractor, Fugro is another worldwide player involved in the oil and gas industry and the wind energy sector. For example, the company has carried out work in the Irish Sea including offshore re-construction surveys at the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm, and close to Aberdeen the offshore works in preparation for the full construction of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. This involved geotechnical site investigation with the drilling vessel Bucentaur. New offshore contracts were awarded for subsea inspection, repair and maintenance services for INPEX in the Timor Sea near Australia, and for trenching services for the Norwegian Maria development project by Wintershall, as well as for BP’s ETAP project in the UK sector of the North Sea. On behalf of Dana Petroleum, Fugro will also be carrying out ROV drilling support services on board the drilling rig Ocean Guardian, and for Shell/BG Kenya a seabed survey to detect natural leakages of hydrocarbons. The Fugro Discovery will be deployed for this final project. Other Dutch companies and vessels highly active in the offshore wind energy sector include Vroon Offshore Services, Deep Ocean, Chevalier Floatels, N-Sea and

Bluestream. At present, via its subsidiary MPI Offshore, Vroon Offshore Services operates four wind turbine installation vessels and a fleet of 14 fast crew suppliers. Deep Ocean will be carrying out installation and trenching work in the Irish Sea for the Walney Extension project, with the cable layer Maersk Connector, while with its accommodation vessels, including the DP Gezina and the DP Galyna, Chevalier Floatels is also at work in this sector. Finally, the diving companies N-Sea and Bluestream have been contracted to carry out survey work and to locate and dispose of unexploded ordnance.

On the Maasvlakte II, a branch of the SIF Group was recently opened. At this location, with a deepsea mooring, large monopiles are assembled prior to deployment as foundations for wind turbines. A final development worth mentioning is that Peterson and Veolia have together acquired a ground-breaking position in the offshore decommissioning market. To carry out this work, the two partners have a network of special locations around the North Sea, in Scotland, England, Norway and soon also in the Netherlands, at which offshore structures can be dismantled n

A whole series of offshore installation projects were completed in2016, by the Thialf. (Photograph: PAS Publicaties)

Equipped with a 1,000-tone crane, the Giant 7 can be deployed as awind turbine installation vessel. (Photograph: PAS Publicaties)

A series of cable laying projects were undertaken by the Ndurance. (Photograph: PAS Publicaties)

The Seajacks Scylla, built according to a Dutch design, is the world’s largest wind turbine installation vessel. (Photograph: PAS Publicaties)