Posted on September 13, 2022
With the floating offshore wind industry poised for rapid growth, Maersk Supply Service is taking steps to capitalize on the opportunities and present a new offering to the market. Maersk Supply announced a new strategic partnership with Stiesdal Offshore to support and accelerate the development of the wind sector. The first commercial wind farms are expected to be deployed by 2028.
The two Danish companies will combine their respective strengths to create comprehensive and integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) solutions for foundations and moorings. The integrated approach the companies said will streamline the value chain, facilitating fast-track installations and ultimately bringing down the costs of floating wind.
“With this partnership, we want to offer our customers a combined EPCI solution for floating wind foundation design, fabrication, assembly, and installation,” said Steen S. Karstensen, CEO of Maersk Supply Service. “We believe this will simplify the value chain in the growing floating wind sector, which is still in the early stages, but which will also by necessity see rapid expansion and growth in the coming decade. By working closely together with Stiesdal, we want to facilitate this green development – and to accelerate our journey into floating wind.”
Both companies already have experience in the emerging floating wind sector. The development of the technology and its deployment is considered critical to reaching the global goals for offshore wind power generation. Floating wind turbines will permit wind farms to be developed further offshore and in areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. Several companies are working to develop concepts for floating installations.
Since 2017, Stiesdal Offshore has been developing the Tetra concept, the world’s first fully industrialized floating technology. In cooperation with Shell, RWE, and TEPCO Renewable Power, Stiesdal built and installed the first Tetra floater off the west coast of Norway in 2021, demonstrating the cost-saving and efficiency potential of the concept.
Maersk Supply Service has worked with the offshore energy sector for over 50 years. The company recently oversaw and executed the mooring system installation for the Saitec DemoSath floating wind project offshore near Bilbao, Spain.
Under the partnership, Maersk will act as the lead contractor and key contact for clients on projects while Stiesdal will act as a subcontractor.
