Regulations 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.

Norway-based subsea well intervention and installation services company AKOFS Offshore has signed a firm contract with Petrobras, for its subsea equipment support vessel AKOFS Santos, which will continue to operate offshore Brazil.Following a competitive tender process, the vessel will continue to perform services as a multi-purpose supply vessel (MPSV) for Petrobras in Brazil under a new contract.The contract has a duration of four years, with operations expected to start in January 2027…

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…

Maritime Developments (MDL) has secured a subsea installation project in the Asia-Pacific region, covering the lay of two cables and two umbilicals.The work will be done in water depths between 800 and 1,200 meters.For the 60-day campaign, scheduled to mobilize from Singapore in 2026, MDL will provide a complete flex-lay spread, including one of the company’s Horizontal Lay Systems – a compact integrated package proven globally on installation and decommissioning scopes - mobilized…

The Dutch government will grant around 1 billion euros ($1.18 billion) in subsidies next year for the construction of offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 2 gigawatt (GW), it said on Tuesday.Tenders for the wind farms had been put on hold in May, as prospective builders had said they saw no viable business case without subsidies.The Netherlands last year already pushed back plans to increase offshore wind capacity from 4.7 GW to 21 GW to the end of 2032 instead of 2030, citing costs and supply chain difficulties.($1 = 0.8450 euros)(Reuters)

The Port of Tyne has unveiled plans to invest around $200 million to redevelop 230 acres into the Tyne Clean Energy Park, adding 400 meters of deep-water quayside to support offshore renewables, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.The project could create up to 12,000 jobs and deliver $7.6 billion to the economy, according to an independent study by WSP.The investment program will transform the north and south banks of the Port of Tyne and add an additional 400 meters of deep-water quayside.The plan for Tyne Clean Energy Park includes a kilometer of both new and redeveloped deep-water…

Japan aims to start planning a national floating wind test centre next year, a senior industry official said, vowing to pursue a path of wind power growth despite a recent setback when Mitsubishi quit three projects.Mitsubishi-led consortia 8058.Tdropped plans last month to build 1.8 gigawatt (GW) in three offshore windmills won in Japan's first major state auction in 2021, dealing a blow to the sector seen as key to cutting dependence on imported fuels."We must conduct verification tests in Japanese waters as Japan's ocean and weather conditions differ from those in Europe…

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that environmental agency Ibama should be satisfied with the results of an emergency drill done by state-run oil firm Petrobras in the country's Foz do Amazonas basin, ahead of Ibama's official assessment."Petrobras has already carried out the test. Ibama should be satisfied with the results of the research, and Ibama will now grant us the license to carry out the first experiment," Lula said in an interview with local news channel Rede Amazonica.Despite Lula's claims…

Singapore-based marine logistics firm Marco Polo has hired Norwegian ship designer Salt Ship Design to design the CSOV Plus, the next-generation commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) for oil and gas and offshore wind sectors.The contract was signed between Marco Polo’s Taiwan-based subsidiary PKR Offshore, Salt Ship Design and Marco Polo Shipyard.Marco Polo Marine’s new CSOV Plus marks a significant advancement in offshore support vessel capability.The CSOV vessel will…

AMIGO LNG S.A. de C.V., a Mexican joint venture of Texas-based Epcilon LNG LLC and Singapore-based LNG Alliance, announced the execution of a long-term Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Macquarie Group, a global trading and financial services group.Under the agreement, AMIGO LNG will deliver 0.6 million tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG to Macquarie's Commodities and Global Markets business over a 15-year term. LNG supplies are expected to commence with the start-up of AMIGO LNG's first liquefaction train…

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced a direct final rule rescinding a section of its regulations that outlined the renewable energy lease sale schedule.Under the rescinded regulation, BOEM required the Secretary of the Interior to publish a five-year schedule of anticipated offshore renewable energy lease sales at least every two years.After reviewing this regulation, the Department of the Interior has determined this provision is not mandated under the…

Wind Multiplikator, a subsidiary of Danish company Semco Maritime, has signed a long-term charter agreement with Norwegian shipping company Norwind Offshore for a Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV), set for deployment at an offshore wind farm in German North Sea.The newly built vessel Norwind Maestro is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2026, with a sister ship of the same design available from the fourth quarter of 2025.Both CSOVs will operate directly out of Emden…

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has rescinded all designated Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).BOEM says the action is being taken in accordance with Secretary’s Order 3437 - Ending Preferential Treatment for Unreliable, Foreign Controlled Energy Sources in Department Decision-Making – and the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 – Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the OCS from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects.

Kongsberg Maritime has signed a development program framework agreement with Noble Corporation, marking a key step forward in the co-development of advanced marine technologies for the offshore drilling sector.The long-term strategic partnership will focus on the joint development, piloting, and commercialization of innovative solutions aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, risk assessment, and sustainability in offshore operations.The first pilot project under this agreement will be launched later in 2025 on the drillship Noble Sam Croft…

Huisman has signed a contract with Dong Fang Offshore (DFO) for the delivery of a modular cable lay system, specifically designed for deployment across range of vessels.Huisman’s 30mt cable lay system will be suitable for deployment for DFO’s newbuild Construction Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) and Offshore Construction Vessels, built by Vard.This marks Huisman’s first cable lay system, built on the company’s extensive track record in the deepwater pipelay market.The system can be configured to support both inter-array and export cable laying with DFO’s existing and newbuild vessels…

Seatrium has announced the impending delivery of Petrobras 78 (P-78), the first of a series of turnkey floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units to Petrobras.The sailaway ceremony took place two weeks ago at Seatrium’s Singapore yard. Upon delivery, the P-78 will be deployed in Brazil’s prolific Buzios field, the largest deepwater oil field globally, with a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), 7.2 million cubic metres (mcbm) of gas per day…

The Rotra Futura Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) vessel has entered operations, with the transportation of wind turbine blades from Denmark to the United States.The project supply vessel, specifically designed to handle larger and heavier offshore wind turbine components, collected the 108-meter-long blades at the Port of Aalborg, Denmark, under the supervision of deugro Denmark’s wind experts.The vessel, delivered in late March 2025, was developed as part of the the partnership between Danish logistics specialist deugro…

The Bonaparte CCS project has been awarded Major Project Status by the Australian Government. It is the first offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) project to receive the status in Australia.The Bonaparte CCS Assessment Joint Venture is operated by Inpex subsidiary Inpex Browse E&P (53%) and also involves TotalEnergies CCS Australia (26%) and Woodside Energy (21%).The awarding highlights the project’s recognized potential to support a lower carbon future as well as reflecting…

Lankhorst Ropes has supplied high capacity, ultra-heavy lift slings to Allseas’ Pioneering Spirit for the transportation and lowering of a 7,300 tonne jacket for a converter platform for the German offshore project BorWin 5.The Lankhorst Gama 98 slings held the jacket in position above the stern of the Pioneering Spirit for the 2-day journey to the installation site.Lankhorst heavy lift slings form part of the Pioneering Spirit’s Jacket Lifting System for platform installation and decommissioning projects.The eight 25 m endless slings use a Gama98 Ultra Heavy Lift rope construction.

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has received a notice of termination for its wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) from Ørsted which was booked for work for the now discontinued 2.4 GW Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm in United Kingdom.The long-term agreement for an A Class WTIV was first announce in April 8, 2024, under which Ørsted secured the vessel capacity from the first quarter of 2027 through the end of 2030.The vessel was supposed to be deployed at Ørsted’s Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm…

The final inter-array cable has been installed at Îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm in France, being developed by Les Éoliennes en Mer Services.The 61st and final inter-array cable was installed on June 22 at the EMYN offshore wind farm, Louis Dreyfus TravOcean said on social media.The accomplishment paves the way for a transmission capacity of 512 MW.Geoquip Marine’s Geoquip Elena, converted into a Cable Laying Vessel (CLV) with a bespoke project-specific deck layout used in the operation…

Wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa is in talks with Chinese suppliers of rare earth permanent magnets about the possibility of bringing production to Europe, in a bid to cut the region's reliance on imports after curbs on supplies from China.Delays in Chinese rare earth export permits have caused European car makers and their suppliers to scramble for alternatives in a market that is dominated by the world's No. 2 economy, threatening production stops across the continent.The wind sector also depends on rare earths processed in China…

DOF Group ASA is pleased to announce two new contracts in Brazil.Skandi Logger, an AHTS with 250t bollard pull built in 2009, has been contracted for a 4-year engagement with Petrobras, following the same competitive AHTS tender process that resulted in the contracts of Skandi Iguaçu, Skandi Angra, Skandi Paraty and Skandi Urca as previously announced. For this contract, expected to start in February 2026, Skandi Logger will be reflagged to Brazilian Flag.Resulting from another competitive tender process, Skandi Achiever has been contracted as RSV for a 4-year engagement with Petrobras.