Offshore staff
LONDON — Seaway7 has entered into a commercial collaboration agreement with Saipem to jointly identify, bid and execute fixed offshore wind projects.
Seaway7 and Saipem said they will pursue selected projects where the combined utilization of the companies’ assets, technologies, products and competencies will generate significant synergies and improve project economics.
Seaway7 and Saipem will deploy key enabling assets and capabilities to cover activities such as FEED, procurement, construction, transportation and installation of foundations and inner-array cables as well as the installation of substations and wind generator turbines. The target projects are large integrated turnkey developments in Europe, the UK and the US, with the possibility of expanding to other geographic areas.
The collaboration will enhance operational flexibility and enable early engagement with both clients and the supply chain to optimize design and execution strategies, and to secure critical enabling assets, including vessels and yards.
SIDEBAR:
Seaway7 and Saipem partnership: how do they complement each other?
By Spinergie
The two leading offshore energy services companies have announced a new partnership that will strengthen their position in the offshore wind sector. It is not the first time the two offshore giants have cooperated. Saipem and Subsea7 are used to collaborating in oil and gas projects, partnering up for the Mamba LNG project off the coast of Mozambique. The companies also strongly complemented the recent Sakarya project in the Turkish Black Sea. They had even considered merging in 2019.
With the new offshore wind partnership, the two companies will be able to offer all-inclusive wind farm installation packages:
- Saipem 7000 can install the heaviest substations;
- Seaway7 owns heavy-load carriers;
- Both can manufacture jackets and install foundations;
- Seaway7 does both export and array cables;
- Seaway Ventus will take care of the turbines.
Seaway7 has been installing offshore wind foundations since the 2010s, using its two vessels, 2,500t-crane Yudin and 5,000t-crane Strashnov. The contractor has occasionally deployed the Seven Borealis, a pipelayer with a 5,000t crane, during shorter jacket installation campaigns.
In 2021 Seaway7 combined with OHT and will get fresh vessels from the deal: dedicated foundation installation vessel, Alfa Lift, and the Seaway Ventus WTIV. Both assets are being built and are scheduled for delivery this year. Seaway7 owns six heavy-load carriers for transportation.
Seaway7 also has a crucial advantage: its impressive cable-layers fleet, with an extensive track record in offshore wind. The contractor intensified its focus on cable installation recently: over the last 12 months, the five CLVs averaged 81% of utilisation.
Saipem waited until the 2020s to fully focus on offshore wind. Previously, the contractor notably installed turbines on floating foundations for HYWIND (SCOTLAND) LIMITED Scotland in 2017 as well as several offshore substations. Saipem encountered troubles in 2021 when the Neart Na Gaoithe campaign offshore UK took longer than envisioned. The contractor then announced it would take a step back and return stronger in the mid-2020s.
Saipem's fleet includes a unique asset, the SSCV Saipem 7000, featuring two 7,000t cranes. The Saipem 3000 heavy-lift vessel is also part of the offshore wind fleet. Saipem has two more potential heavy-lift assets, for now exclusively used as oil and gas pipelayers: De He 5000 and Saipem Constellation.
Both contractors have jacket production capabilities. Saipem has construction yards, such as Karimun in Indonesia, already used for NNG's jackets. Subsea7 is partnered with India's Larsen & Toubro, an offshore infrastructure manufacturing company.
How successful do you think the partnership will be? Could the contractors end up merging anyway?
02.23.2023
