Offshore Wind News

Poland allocated 3.4 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in its first competitive offshore wind auction, the country's energy regulator URE said on Thursday, a boost for the renewable energy sector after setbacks in neighbouring markets.The auction was seen as a test of investor confidence in offshore wind, coming after U.S. President Donald Trump's opposition to renewables effectively froze the U.S. market and recent auctions in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands failed to draw bidders.Poland awarded 25-year contracts at a price range of 476.88 zlotys ($133.09) and 492.32 zlotys per megawatt hour…

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has launched its Wind Ace wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) newbuild at the COSCO Qidong yard in China.With the launching complete, Wind Ace has moved into the final construction phase, which entails installation of the remaining leg sections, the main crane, and the start of commissioning activities.According to Cadeler, Wind Ace A-Class WTIV will be delivered to the company in 2026, and will become the 11th vessel in its expanding fleet of wind turbine installation vessels.“Thanks to close collaboration between our local Cadeler site team…

The Trump administration is reviewing whether to send the Interior Department's Biden-era approval of a Virginia offshore wind project back to the agency for reconsideration, according to a court document filed on Wednesday.The agency is conducting a review of offshore wind leases to comply with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's July order to end preferential treatment for wind and solar projects, it said in a filing in U.S.

Danish vessel owner ESVAGT has completed the acquisition of Breeze Enabler and Brint Enabler Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) from Edda Wind through a 100% share purchase agreement of the two Spanish vessel owning entities.The SOVs are on long-term contracts with customers Ocean Breeze in Germany and Vestas in UK.The contracts for both Breeze Enabler and Brint Enabler have been novated to ESVAGT for continued operations and the crew onboard has been offered employment with ESVAGT.“We…

Belgian offshore contractor Jan De Nul has concluded the 2025 transport and installation campaign of three HVAC grid connection cables at TenneT’s DolWin kappa platform.When finalized, these cables will ensure the transport of almost 660 MW renewable electricity from two offshore wind farms, which is enough energy needed to power more than 800,000 German homes.Jan De Nul and partner Hellenic Cables are responsible for design, production, transport, installation and protection of three 155 kV HVAC cables with a total length of 37 km.

Jumbo Offshore has signed two contracts for the Transport and Installation (T&I) of Transition Pieces (TPs) for an upcoming offshore wind farm development.Jumbo Offshore will install the TPs using one of its two DP2 heavy-lift vessels during the project campaigns.In addition to T&I, the awarded scope includes full management and operation of the marshalling yard.This includes responsibility for receiving the TPs from the transport vessel at the quayside, transferring them to the storage area…

DEME has secured three contracts for the installation of monopile foundations, inter-array cables, and the export cable at the BC-Wind offshore wind farm in Poland.The combined contracts are valued between $174 million and $350 million (€150 million and 300 million).BC-Wind, developed by offshore wind firm Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture between EDP Renewables and ENGIE, is located approximately 23 km off the Polish Baltic Sea coast.With a planned capacity of up to 390 MW, the wind farm will generate clean electricity for around 500…

A consortium of GE Vernova and Singapore’s Seatrium has secured a major contract from Dutch-German grid operator TenneT to deliver the BalWin5 offshore grid connection, a 2.2 GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system designed to bring North Sea wind power to Germany’s electricity network.BalWin5 is expected to provide enough renewable electricity to supply about 2.75 million households, forming part of Germany’s strategy to accelerate offshore wind deployment and…

A federal judge on Monday struck down an order by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to halt all federal approvals for new wind energy projects, saying that agencies' efforts to implement his directive were unlawful and arbitrary.Agencies including the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce and the Environmental Protection Agency have been implementing a directive to halt all new approvals needed for both onshore and offshore wind projects pending a review of leasing and permitting practices.Siding with a group of 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, U.S.

Dong Fang Offshore (DFO), one of Asia’s largest offshore wind service providers, has signed a major shipbuilding contract with Norwegian yard Westcon for a new subsea and cable lay vessel (CLV), set for delivery in 2027.Westcon will take over and complete construction of a large cable lay vessel already under build.DFO said the order supports its recent growth and replaces installation capacity lost in Taiwan after DeepOcean exercised an option to keep the Orient Adventurer working in Europe until 2028…

Seaway7, part of Subsea7, has secured a sizeable contract by Ocean Winds for the work on the BC-Wind offshore wind project in Poland.Seaway7’s scope of work includes the transport and installation of 26 transition pieces and an offshore substation with offshore activity expected to commence in 2027.The BC-Wind offshore site is located in the Baltic Sea, approximately 23 kilometers off the Polish coast, and will comprise 26 wind turbine generators.When fully completed, BC-Wind will have a total capacity of up to 390 MW…

Belgium’s Jan De Nul is commissioning what it calls its most advanced offshore wind installation simulator, a digital twin of its vessels Les Alizés and Voltaire designed to train crews to install the latest generation of giant wind turbines and foundations at sea.The crane simulator, installed at the company’s Aalst office, features a seven-meter-wide dome offering a 360-degree view and allows operators to rehearse complex installation operations at heights exceeding 150 meters.Wind turbine tip heights now reach 300 metres…

Integrated Wind Solutions (IWS), through its subsidiary IWS Fleet, has secured additional charter commitments for its Skywalker-class commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs), closing gaps in its near-term schedule and expanding its multi-year backlog.IWS Fleet said it filled a gap in employment for the IWS Sunwalker in the first quarter of 2026 by securing a 70-day fixed charter extension. The vessel will begin its first charter shortly and now holds back-to-back firm…

Dajin Heavy Industry and Germany’s Briese Schiffahrt have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop offshore wind marshalling services at a new terminal in the Port of Cuxhaven in Germany.The agreement, signed on November 26, aims to establish an international offshore wind industry hub on more than 20 hectares of newly built port area in Cuxhaven.The initiative will use Dajin’s fleet of deck carrier vessels and Briese’s global shipping network to support the handling and…

Seatrium has issued a notice of arbitration against an affiliate of Maersk Offshore Wind, escalating a dispute over the termination of a contract for a wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) intended for the Empire Wind 1 project in the United States.The move follows a notice of arbitration delivered by the buyer on October 21, one day after Seatrium notified the buyer that the vessel would be ready for delivery by January 30, 2026. The dispute will be heard in London under the…

Hanwha Ocean has delivered the Wind Mover wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) to offshore wind contractor Cadeler, completing the second vessel in the company’s M-class series about one month ahead of schedule.The vessel was formally signed over on November 28 and sailed away on December 2, following a naming ceremony at Hanwha Ocean’s shipyard in Korea.Wind Mover is the second of two WTIVs ordered by Cadeler in 2021, with the first vessel, Wind Maker, delivered in January 2025.

Van Oord has completed the transport and installation of all 21 monopiles at Iberdrola’s Windanker offshore wind farm.This achievement involved the largest monopiles Van Oord has ever installed, made possible by earlier upgrades to its heavy lift installation vessel Svanen, which is now equipped to manage next-generation offshore wind monopile foundations.Van Oord’s scope of work included loading the monopiles at the fabrication site in Spain and transporting them to the Port of Rønne, Denmark.

ABS issued an approval in principle (AIP) to Encomara for its Squid system, an approach that adapts proven disconnectable mooring technology to support floating offshore wind developments.The Squid system builds upon the established Disconnectable Turret Buoy (DTB) concept long used in floating production projects. By utilizing existing, well-understood offshore technology and installation methods, the system aims to enhance safety and reduce complexity during floating wind turbine installation and off-station operations.“The potential efficiency gains…

AD Ports Group and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company – Masdar have signed a partnership agreement to collaborate on the development and delivery of offshore wind projects.Under the agreement, the companies will identify opportunities where AD Ports Group can serve as a key partner and contractor for Masdar global offshore wind initiatives.The parties will jointly determine technical requirements for Masdar projects and identify where AD Ports Group can deploy its extensive technical and logistical capabilities…

The topside and jacket structure for the Jasmund offshore substation (OSS) have embarked on the journey to Baltic Sea for installation, following the completion of construction by the HSI consortium, formed by HSM Offshore Energy, Smulders and Iv.The topside, measuring 48 metres by 33 metres and weighing about 4,500 tonnes, departed HSM Offshore Energy’s Stormpolder yard and travelled through central Rotterdam in a high-profile transit. The 72-metre-high jacket sailed from Smulders’ Vlissingen yard.Both structures are now en route to the Baltic Sea…

Thousands of U.K. jobs and billions in future tax revenue are at risk unless the government reforms the Energy Profits Levy (EPL), industry group Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) said ahead of the Autumn Statement.OEUK said statistical modelling shows that revising the 78% levy in 2026 instead of waiting for its scheduled expiry in 2030 would increase total tax receipts from £32.9 billion ($43.2 billion) to $63.9 billion (£48.6 billion) over the next decade, driven by higher employment…

Windcat, part of CMB.TECH, has signed a contract with Damen Shipyards to build a new Multi-Purpose Accommodation Support Vessel (MP-ASV), with options for five additional units.To be known as the Innovation Series, the new class of offshore support vessels will combine a large open deck, subsea crane capability and fuel-efficient operations with accommodation for personnel working offshore for extended periods.Construction of the first MP-ASV is scheduled to begin in February 2026 at Damen’s Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam, with delivery planned for 2028.

Fugro has completed the geotechnical site investigations at the eastern array of Dogger Bank South Wind Farm, off UK.Fugro’s five-vessel campaign gathered core samples and cone penetration tests (CPT) data up to 50 meters below the seabed.According to RWE, which is developing the project together with partner Masdar, the results of the campaign will provide vital insights for designing turbine and platform foundations.Dogger Bank South (DBS) consists of two offshore wind farms - DBS East and DBS West - with an estimated combined capacity of 3 GW.RWE leads both DBS projects…