Europe News

DOF Group has secured four 12-year charter and services contracts in Brazil following a competitive tender process, supporting Petrobras’ deepwater subsea inspection, maintenance and repair operations.The contracts will lead to the construction of four new remotely operated vehicle support vessels (RSVs), with operations expected to begin from 2030, DOF said.The vessels are expected to be built by Brazil’s Navship yard, with delivery of the first two planned within four years of contract signing.The newbuilds will be DP2-class vessels designed for deepwater operations…

Tug Network Team has appointed Felipe Gouvêa as executive director as the towage alliance moves to strengthen coordination and expand its international operations.The alliance, launched in the Americas in 2024 and recently expanded into Europe, connects operators across 113 ports in 13 countries with a combined fleet of more than 200 tugs.Gouvêa previously served as chief executive of Brazilian towage operator Sulnorte and has held senior roles across shipping, chartering, port…

DFDS has agreed to acquire the Ro-Pax ferry Stena Vinga from Swedish operator Stena Line, strengthening its fleet and supporting services linking Jersey with the U.K. and France.The vessel is currently chartered by DFDS and has been operating on its Jersey routes since March 2025, carrying both freight and passengers.The 125-meter vessel, built in 2005, can carry up to 400 passengers, 200 cars and has freight capacity of 1,500 lane metres. It is equipped with 40 cabins, a restaurant, duty-free shop, cinema and recliner lounge.DFDS said the ferry will be reflagged under the U.K.

Norwegian subsea services firm Reach Subsea has received a letter of intent for a multi-year contract covering inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) and light construction services in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.Aside from the letter of intent, covering a 2+1-year IMR and light construction services, Reach Subsea has also entered into a separate letter of intent with Solstad Maritime for the charter of the vessel Normand Jarstein in connection with the award.A commitment has been signed to commence the vessel’s transit this week…

Multidisciplinary consultancy AGR has entered into a partnership agreement to onboard the offshore support vessel Aquaman II, expanding its capacity for subsea operations, plug and abandonment (P&A) and decommissioning work in the North Sea.The vessel, owned by Star Matrix and to be operated by AGR, will be configured as a light construction anchor handling tug supply vessel to support subsea and offshore campaigns.AGR said the addition strengthens its marine spread as activity increases across vessel-based subsea operations…

Brent crude futures retreated on Tuesday but held near $114 a barrel following fresh hostilities in the Middle East, while investors monitored developments in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.The U.S. and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf on Monday as they wrestled for control over the Strait of Hormuz with duelling maritime blockades, shaking a fragile truce.Brent crude futures LCOc1 eased 93 cents, or 0.8%, to $113.51 per barrel at 0719 GMT after settling up 5.8% on Monday. U.S.

As America’s European allies digest the diplomatic fallout of their spat with the Trump administration over their inaction on Iran, the U.S. Army in Europe has kept pushing forward with its training programme for the year in several nervous nations on NATO’s eastern flank.The next phase of activity, known by the U.S. military as Exercise Sword 26, sees more than 15,000 NATO personnel – more than a third of them American – engage in activities ranging from cyber drills to armoured…

Dutch grid operator TenneT is preparing to begin horizontal directional drilling at Maasvlakte as part of efforts to connect three offshore wind farms to the onshore grid.Steel casing pipes have been installed at three beach work sites, allowing drilling beneath the beach and seabed to begin, weather permitting.The drilling will be carried out in three stages, starting with a pilot bore from the beach towards the sea, followed by widening of the borehole and the installation of…

Norwind Offshore has doubled its fleet through the acquisition of six commissioning service operation (CSOV) vessels from Edda Wind.The transaction was completed in partnership with Navigare Capital Partners, the company said.The vessels have either recently been delivered or are in the final stages of delivery and are designed for offshore wind operations, featuring Vard 4 25 and SALT 0217 designs.“This transaction marks a significant step forward for Norwind Offshore. It is not just about the scale – it is about readiness.

The European Commission has successfully closed the first round of activities of the Hydrogen Mechanism operated under the EU Energy and Raw Materials Platform. Market participants currently developing hydrogen projects (on both supply and demand side) responded with high engagement, showing great appetite for this new initiative and the development of the hydrogen market.During this first round, the Hydrogen Mechanism gave future producers of hydrogen a transparent and easy way to test demand for their specific projects and find potential offtakers…

Petrodec, a specialist in integrated solutions for decommissioning and part of the Dixstone group, has started its second decommissioning project for Perenco UK with its OBANA jack-up platform, moving to the Pickerill field in the UK Southern North Sea.The platform has mobilized from its yard in Vlissingen-Oost in the Netherlands and is now on location to remove the jackets from Pickerill A and Pickerill B.Following this work, OBANA is scheduled to return to the Amethyst field to remove the jacket of Amethyst A1D…

DNV has been appointed independent certifier for the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) CO2 transport and storage project in the UK.The project underpins the UK’s East Coast Cluster and will transport CO2 from industrial emitters in Teesside for storage beneath the southern North Sea.DNV will verify that construction and operations comply with the CO2 transport and storage license granted by the UK government.The scope of work includes the full transport chain, from CO2 receipt…

Akastor’s subsidiary DDW Offshore has entered into a binding agreement to sell Skandi Emerald anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel for $23 million.The AHTS, built in 2011, is designed for operations across a range of water depths and environmental conditions.Completion of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected in the second quarter of 2026.Following the sale, DDW Offshore’s revolving credit facility will be reduced from $16 million to $8 million.The companies did not reveal the name of the buyer or any other details.

Shearwater Geoservices has agreed to sell the vessel SW Baret to an undisclosed buyer for conversion into a dedicated source vessel.The agreed sales price exceeds the vessel’s carrying book value and is expected to result in a gain in Shearwater’s accounts, as well as a positive impact on liquidity, the company said.Completion of the transaction is expected late in the second quarter of 2026.The vessel, built in 2012, has been in lay-up since 2021 and will undergo modifications following the sale…

Njord Survey has secured a three-year framework agreement with Equinor for pipeline inspection and integrity work across European waters.The contract includes an option to extend for one additional year and covers geophysical surveys and offshore operations.Njord Survey said the agreement builds on previous collaborations and will support offshore operations through high-resolution surveys and vessel operations with low CO2e emissions.The company said offshore campaigns under…

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Fleet Robotics have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on autonomous robotic systems for hull cleaning and inspection.The agreement, announced at Singapore Maritime Week, aims to support the deployment of robotic systems for vessel maintenance.“It is an honor to work alongside Fleet Robotics to advance autonomous robotic systems for the industry. This collaboration is about more than innovation, we are working to establish…

Offshore services provider Bourbon has expanded its fleet with 13 vessels valued at more than $180 million since the start of 2026, as it seeks to strengthen its position in offshore markets, the company said.Ten of the vessels are already under contract, reflecting demand for offshore support vessels (OSVs), Bourbon said.The expansion includes the acquisition of six diesel-electric vessels from the Minsheng Group, comprising five platform supply vessels (PSV) and one 80-ton bollard pull anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS)…

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku has launched a five-year research and development program aimed at supporting the maritime industry through environmental, digital and geopolitical changes.The MERiON program, co-funded by Business Finland, will run from 2026 to 2030 and focus on developing future-ready cruise ships and floating infrastructure.The initiative builds on the company’s previous NEcOLEAP program and is part of a broader effort to strengthen Finland’s shipbuilding sector through increased research…

Stillstrom, a unit of A.P. Moller - Maersk, has launched two offshore charging systems aimed at supporting vessel electrification in the offshore wind sector.The new solutions, Power Hub and Power Tower, are designed as standalone systems that can be deployed independently of wind turbine infrastructure, enabling flexible charging options for vessels operating at sea.The systems are based on monopile designs and target one of the key challenges in offshore wind operations - the reliable supply of electric power for service vessels used in installation…

The conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel is creating the worst energy crisis ever faced by the world, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday."This is indeed the biggest crisis in history," Birol told France Inter radio in an interview broadcast on Tuesday."The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia," he added.The war in the Middle East has choked up maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.It has also come on

Mermaid Subsea Services (UK) has extended its contract for the subsea support vessel Island Valiant, reinforcing its position in the North Sea decommissioning market.The vessel has supported Mermaid’s operations in the region for the past three years, including well plug and abandonment (P&A) and inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) campaigns.The new agreement commits the vessel to operations in the basin for a further 12 months as activity in the North Sea is expected to increase.Mermaid…

The stop-start shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz underscores the profound uncertainty hanging over the world’s most critical oil and gas chokepoint. But one thing is already clear: even if the guns fall silent, flows through the narrow waterway will take months – and possibly years – to recover to pre-war levels.Iran said on Saturday that it was tightening control over the strait in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian tankers, firing at several vessels and warning mariners that the strait was closed.

Oil prices jumped more than 6% in early Monday trading on fears that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran could collapse after the U.S. seized an Iranian cargo ship and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely halted.Brent crude futures LCOc1 advanced $5.51, or 6.1%, to $95.89 a barrel by 0752 GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 was up $5.46, or 6.5%, at $89.31.Both contracts tumbled by 9% on Friday, their largest daily declines since April 18, after…