Inspection Repair Maintenance News

Offshore wind developers and equipment suppliers are bracing for a slowdown in business in France where a political crisis has stalled changes to the country's energy framework and government tenders.The threat of a further hit to France's economy comes after data released on Friday shows business activity declined faster than expected in October.President Emmanuel Macron has churned through six prime ministers in two years as a fractured legislature struggles to agree on a belt-tightening budget.

Belgian marine contractor Jan De Nul has launched its newest cable laying vessel (CLV), the Fleeming Jenkin, at the CMHI Haimen shipyard in China, which has now entered the final phase of construction ahead of delivery planned for second half of 2026.The 215-meter-long vessel has a loading capacity of 28,000 tonnes, making it the world’s largest of its kind.Jan De Nul will use the vessel to install subsea cables for the transmission of renewable energy, as the Fleeming Jenkin was specifically designed to install longer and heavier cables in ultra-deep waters up to 3…

The delivery of the next-generation construction support vessel (CSV), under construction at Turkish Sefine Shipyard for Norway’s Eidesvik Offshore and Agalas, has been delayed for later in 2026.The delivery of the CSV, which will feature a battery hybrid system and be capable of operating on methanol, has been rescheduled from early 2026 to the third quarter of the same year.The vessel, named Viking Vigor, will be owned by an entity to be named Eidesvik Agalas AS, where Eidesvik will be the majority owner with 50.1%.The newbuild will be equipped to perform inspection, maintenance and repair (

U.S. natural gas pipeline exports to Mexico averaged 7.5 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in May 2025, the most of any month on record as Mexico's demand for natural gas increases, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Monday.On an annual basis, U.S. natural gas pipeline exports to Mexico averaged 6.4 bcfd in 2024, a 25% increase compared with 2019 and the highest on record in data going back as early as 1975, the EIA report stated."Total consumption of natural gas in Mexico increased from 7.7 bcfd to 8.6 bcfd during the same time (2019-2024) period…

Poland will seek binding offers for capacity that would be available in the expanded floating liquefied natural gas terminal near Gdansk following ample interest from shippers, the country's gas pipeline operator Gaz-System said on Monday.Gaz-System is building a terminal with a regasification capacity of 6.1 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas per year and considering adding a second unit which could regasify 4.5 bcm annually."Nearly half of the regasified LNG would be exported to Ukraine…

Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has taken delivery of its new wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Norse Wind at the CIMC Raffles Shipyard.Designed to install the next generation of offshore wind turbines, the vessel combines advanced technology and sustainable design features to offer enhanced installation capability.Built by CIMC Raffles and designed by GustoMSC, Norse Wind is equipped to install turbines with rotor diameters of more than 300 meters and XXL monopiles weighing up to 3…

Survival technology specialist Survitec has launched its next-generation high-expansion foam fire suppression system, designed to deliver higher foam output at lower operating pressures while reducing both installation and through-life costs for shipyards and shipowners.The key breakthrough lies in a redesigned generator that produces greater volumes of foam at significantly lower feed pressures. Traditionally, high pressure has been a limiting factor in foam system performance…

Subsea technology company Seatools has been awarded a contract by Jan De Nul for the design and delivery of a Fall Pipe ROV (FP-ROV) that will form a key system of the Belgian contractor’s recently ordered subsea rock installation vessel, the George W. Goethals.The ROV will play an essential role in the vessel’s mission to protect critical subsea infrastructure by enabling highly accurate and controlled rock placement around cables and foundations, safeguarding assets that underpin…

Remazel, a company of the Fincantieri Group, has signed a contract with Jan De Nul for the supply of mission-critical equipment for a newbuild vessel.The contract covers the design and supply of an advanced system for transporting and laying rocks on the seabed to protect cables and pipelines.The solution developed by Remazel will enable operations at depths of up to 400 meters with a production capacity of 2,000 tonnes per hour, ensuring precision, efficiency and operational continuity even in challenging marine conditions.A centralized control system will coordinate all onboard equipment…

Robosys Automation, a leader in maritime autonomy, vessel control systems, and smart shipping solutions, has announced that it has secured a new contract to retrofit a 26-meter Damen 2610 Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) Twin Axe High Speed Support Vessel (HSSV), with its flagship VOYAGER AI advanced maritime autonomy software.The vessel, built in 2015 to Lloyd’s Register classification standards, is powered by twin Caterpillar C32 engines with direct drives and is equipped with an Alphatron autopilot…

Offshore service provider OS Energy has adopted Sonardyne’s SPRINT-Nav DP dynamic positioning (DP) reference system to support its marine renewable energy projects in the North and Baltic Seas. SPRINT-Nav DP will enable OS Energy to maintain DP integrity, even in shallow water and GNSS-compromised environments that are increasingly characteristic of offshore wind construction and maintenance activities. Housed within a single, pre-calibrated unit, the easy to integrate system allows operators ride out GNSS disruption, maintaining safety, accuracy and DP certification.

Windward Offshore has taken delivery of its first Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), Windward Athens, built by Norwegian shipbuilder Vard.The vessel represents a major milestone on Windward Offshore’s growth path and marks the company’s entry into operations with its dedicated CSOV fleet.The Windward Athens is designed to support installation, commissioning, and maintenance activities in offshore wind farms.Measuring 87.5 meters in length with a 19.5-meter beam, she offers accommodation for up to 120 people and is equipped with the latest technology for safe…

Belgian marine contractor Jan De Nul has ordered a rock installation vessel, specifically built to strengthen the protection of offshore energy and subsea data infrastructure.The vessel, named George W. Goethals, will be the company’s largest rock installation ship to date, with a carrying capacity of 37,000 tonnes. It will be equipped with ultra-low emission technology and engines capable of running on biofuel and green methanol.According to Jan De Nul, using its flexible vertical fall pipe and an inclined fall pipe system…

Ocean services provider DeepOcean has been awarded a SIMOPRO – simultaneous marine operation and production – installation contract by Equinor on the Norwegian continental shelf.DeepOcean’s scope of work entails SIMOPRO installation work on both the Åsgård and Visund fields. The company will undertake onshore project management, engineering and procurement services as well as offshore operations.A SIMOPRO operation refers to a complex offshore job where marine construction or…

Dutch offshore services provider Boskalis has engaged its heavy transport vessel Blue Marlin to move a recently converted floating production unit (FPU) to Angola, ahead of its deployment at Congo’s first natural gas liquefaction project.The cargo, formerly one of the largest semi-submersible drilling rigs of its generation, has been converted into an FPU is currently en route to Angola on Blue Marlin vessel.Even though the 80-by-68-meter, 41,000-ton structure is five meters wider than the 63-meter-wide deck of the Blue Marlin, the colossal FPU stands rock-solid on deck, according to Boskalis.

Aker Solutions has become the first company in Europe to secure certification for unlimited beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations, further advancing autonomous inspection for offshore platforms, onshore yards, process plants and industrial sitesFull BVLOS certification enables Aker Solutions to conduct autonomous operations alongside manned helicopters and aircraft, one of the most advanced and highest risk authorizations approved by European and national civil aviation authorities.This ensures zero interference with helideck operations…

Compute Maritime, a London-based deep tech company and the developer of the world’s first generative AI tool for ship design, has taken charge of the U.K.-funded GenDSOM project to develop the next generation crew transfer vessel (CTV) with generative AI and additive manufacturing.The $940,000 (£700,000) project is funded by the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition program, and aside from Compute Maritime, brings together Siemens Digital Industries Software…

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has taken delivery of its first A-class wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), Wind Ally, designed to transport up to six sets of XXL monopile foundations per round trip.Wind Ally has become the ninth vessel on the water in Cadeler’s growing fleet of next-generation WTIVs. After the scheduled mobilization, the vessel will headdirectly into operations installing foundations at Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the North Sea.For the first time…

Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has ordered a new Offshore Construction Vessel (OCV), which will be built by PaxOcean at the Zhoushan shipyard in China.The new OCV will strengthen DEME’s subsea cable installation capacity to meet the evolving global offshore wind market.Designed for versatility, the vessel will be capable of executing trenching, burial, and cable-laying operations, complementing DEME’s existing cable installation vessels, Living Stone and Viking Neptun.Representing a sizable investment…

U.S. energy firms this week added oil and natural gas rigs for a third week in a row for the first time since February, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday.The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by three to 542 in the week to September 19, its highest since July. Despite this week's rig increase, Baker Hughes said the total count was still down 46 rigs, or 8% below this time last year. Baker Hughes said oil rigs rose by two to 418 this week…

Subsea cable services company Asso.subsea has ordered a next-generation trenching support vessel (TSV) from China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) Shenzhen Shipyard, scheduled for delivery at the end of 2027.The vessel, named Avra, is the second new building vessel announced in just a few months by Asso.subsea, following the recent revealing of its newest cable laying vessel (CLV) Althea, underscoring a period of significant strategic investment and fleet expansion for the company.Avra…

Norwegian offshore supply vessel owner DOF Group has signed an agreement to sell the Skandi Handler anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel.The sale has been made through DOF Group’s Danish subsidiary DOF Denmark. The company did not disclose the name of the buyer or the value of the transaction.The vessel is planned to be delivered to the new owner in the fourth quarter of 2025.Skandi Handler AHTS vessel is of UT 722 LE design. The vessel is 80 meters long with the breadth of 18 meters. Its total carrying capacity is 2592 t, and it is able to accommodate 27 people.

Reach Subsea has exercised the first in a series of exclusive options with Kongsberg Maritime for the delivery of the next two uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), Reach Remote 3 and 4.The contract terms have been mutually agreed and remain confidential between the parties.Delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2027, marking a key milestone in Reach Subsea’s USV scaling program.The specifications for Reach Remote 3 and 4 will mirror the first two vessels, with targeted adjustments…