The planned energy island in the North Sea is a monumental project that not only plays a leading role in fulfilling Denmark’s target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030, but also contributes to increasing renewable energy across Europe.

The technology group Wärtsilä will introduce a combined engine plus selective catalytic reduction (SCR) packaged product aimed at complying with China’s Stage II marine engine emission standard that enters into force in July 2021.

MENCK, the lead brand for the foundations and cables business segment within marine energy and infrastructure services company, Acteon, has signed a contract with Dutch marine contractor Van Oord to deliver the hammer spread for the installation of the Taranto offshore windfarm, Italy’s first.

Modus Subsea Services Ltd recently surpassed 2 Million Manhours, more than 9 years, without a lost-time injury (LTI) across all work locations: Head Office, Marine Base Facility, and offshore work locations worldwide.

SolarDuck, a Dutch renewable energy start-up, has launched the first floating solar energy project last week. The project, called the Demonstrator, consists of four triangular platforms covered with solar panels, which rest on floaters. This Demonstrator floats at IJzendoorn (NL), and delivers energy to the grid.

Last week, the floating platforms were towed upriver from Gorinchem, where they were built at Damen Shipyards, to IJzendoorn through the Waal (Rhine), the widest river of the Netherlands. “I’m incredibly proud,” says CTO Don Hoogendoorn “For months, we perfected the technological design, after which we built the Demonstrator within 7 months. From a technological point of view – our team has over 80 years of shared experience in maritime technology – we knew the platforms were built robustly, but a 50 km high speed towing route is the ultimate real-life test. During such a path, the forces are far beyond those you would experience at sea. And our platforms passed the test with flying colors.”

“This Demonstrator – our first project – is only the beginning” confirms Head of Business Development Olaf de Swart. Although the company has only been in full time business since October, global project demand has been high and stretches from Bermuda, to Japan. The main driving forces driving this market are a global ambition to get to net zero on the one hand, and a lack of space to place solar panels on the other. “The absence of available land is mainly seen on islands, in megacities such as Tokyo or Singapore, and on offshore platforms, which are therefore our target markets. But we even have project proposals from Oman, where land prices are so high, that people prefer to look at the sea for their solar energy need.”

The start-up hardly has any time to sit back and enjoy its victory. “We have no time to rest on our laurels. Today, we’ll take pride in the project we built with our consortium of Engie Solutions, DSM Advanced Solar, Chint Solar, Damen Shipyards Group and Dekker Groep. Tomorrow, it’s all hands-on deck for our second project, which will float on the sea and is currently in details design.”, asserts CEO Koen Burgers. The market for offshore floating solar panels is still young, but is growing exponentially and will reach a size of 20000 GW according to international research agency DNV-GL. This is due to the fact that within the sunbelt – that part of the planet, which is sun rich, but wind scarce – solar is by far the cheapest method to produce renewable energy, but land is hard to come by. Burgers is pleased with the ambitious atmosphere in the market: “When we founded SolarDuck, we knew we wanted to change the world and add our bit to a sustainable future. Currently our global pipeline is already in the hundreds of megawatt peaks. Receiving worldwide recognition for your product at such an early stage is amazing. Now, it is our job to make our ambition come to fruition.”

SolarDuck also thanks AkzoNobel, MME Group, FEMTO Engineering, MechDes Engineering and EMHA for their support in realizing the Demonstrator.

CGG has announced the delivery of the fast-track data from its Agata Reimaging program over the Agata block in the Santos Basin, a highly prolific area of Brazil’s offshore pre-salt.

Following several months of fruitful discussions and dialogue, several French players have announced the creation of the AMSSI (Agora for Maritime & Submarine Sustainable Innovations):

Talos Energy Inc. has announced the nomination of Paula R. Glover for election to the Talos Board of Directors.

Floating Power Plant (FPP) has secured €17,65m in R&D tax credits for an offshore floating wind and wave project at PLOCAN off the coast of the Canary Islands. This will help finance the demonstrator project currently in development.

The initial three years of anticipated expenses associated with FPP’s demonstrator project have been approved by the Spanish Tax Agency as qualifying for the country’s R&D tax credit program.

Chris McConville, FPP General Manager, says: “This is a major milestone in the realization of the project, for which design and development are well under way. The security of knowing that the planned project is eligible for this support allows us to progress with confidence towards the final investment decision planned for later this year.”

The first in the world

The demonstrator will have a total power capacity of 5 MW from a combination of wind and wave power and is expected to be in operation for up to 10 years. This will be the world’s first multi megawatt hybrid floating wind and wave energy system.

Chris McConville adds: “The project forms a key part of FPP’s continued growth strategy, providing the bankability needed to realize the significant commercial pipeline under development.”

Will help future development

As well as validating the performance of the unique hybrid system, the FPP Canarias project will provide a center for future developments, such as trialing new sensors, control algorithms or materials, prior to their use on commercial units.

The project will also receive revenue from the power generated, which will be delivered to the grid in Gran Canaria. Chris McConville notes: “We want to thank the innovation consultant Incotec, who have helped us secure one of the largest ever binding R&D tax credit agreements.”

Facts:

The tax credit amounts to exactly €17,654,522 of expenses in the first years of the project. It has been given to FPP Canarias S.L.U., a wholly owned subsidiary of FPP tasked with delivering FPP’s demonstrator and R&D center at PLOCAN. It has been approved in full.

Chrysaor Norge AS has awarded Applied Petroleum Technology (APT) a frame agreement to provide geochemical and biostratigraphic analyses for the operator’s E&P activities on the Norwegian continental shelf.

Equinor has selected Fugro to perform a deepwater site investigation in Canada’s Flemish Pass, 500 km off the coast of St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, in water depths of approximately 1200 m.

Seadrill Limited has secured a 4-year firm contract with four one-year options, for the West Saturn drillship with Equinor Brasil Energia Ltda for work on the Bacalhau field in Brazil. 

As part of its mission to support the decarbonization of the global transport and energy sectors, Ricardo, a world-class environmental, engineering and strategic consulting company, has created a hydrogen-fueled research engine which could offer a renewable, economic and durable technology solution to accelerate zero carbon emissions in heavy duty trucks, off-highway machines and marine vessels. 

AGR and its Australian team have won a contract to assist with well planning and engineering on the Jade prospect in Block 29/11, offshore China.
 


Aleron Ltd, specialists in complete ROV & tooling solutions, have established a partnership with SEA.O.G Offshore. The USA company, with bases in Houston, Texas and New Bedford, Massachusetts, is a leading provider of Maritime Support Services for the Oil & Gas and renewable industries.

TechnipFMC has received a Notice to Proceed for a significant ⁽¹⁾ subsea production system contract from Santos Ltd. (ASX: STO) for the Barossa project, located 300 kilometers north of Darwin, Australia, at a water depth of approximately 130 meters.