Solstad Offshore, Aker Solutions and DeepOcean create offshore renewables alliance

The new partnership aims to provide the world’s most cost-efficient and complete product supply, fabrication and marine services offering within offshore wind. The alliance will also pursue other offshore renewables segments.

Windstaller Alliance will combine the already well-established capabilities and expertise of the three offshore industry leaders. This will form an integrated and highly flexible one-stop-shop provider. The alliance will be able to offer product deliveries, fabrication services as well as marine and subsea operations and associated engineering services within offshore renewables industries. 

Lars Peder Solstad, CEO of Solstad Offshore, says:

“In terms of competence, size and asset base, Windstaller Alliance’s offering is probably unrivalled in the marketplace. However, it is how we will integrate and join the three companies’ offerings that will create the real value for both operators and us suppliers.”

The Windstaller Alliance will market the three companies’ offering, identify and pursue business opportunities where they cost-efficiently can combine their technologies, capabilities, experience and resources to deliver an unrivalled service to the offshore renewables sector.

The Windstaller Alliance aims to cut the amount of supplier interfaces, thereby reducing technical and commercial project risk as well as execution time through better integration of services, project management and maritime asset utilization.

Guro Høyaas Løken, Head of the Windstaller Alliance, says:

“Today’s supply chain for the offshore renewables market is highly fragmented and, in our view, sub-optimal in terms of efficiency, cost, risk and environmental footprint. Windstaller Alliance is able to take an integrated approach where appropriate, while unlocking value for both operators and suppliers, at the same time reducing the total carbon footprint of offshore renewable projects.”

The alliance members will cooperate to jointly identify market opportunities and agree on a case-by-case basis which prospects and solutions to pursue. The exact execution scope and cooperation model on a specific project will be set up based on client preferences and market conditions.

In the preparatory phase for marine operations of offshore renewables projects, Windstaller Alliance will deliver engineering services as well as subsea survey, inspection and site preparation services.

The alliance may also provide product deliveries such as subsea technologies plus fabrication of substructures carrying wind turbines, plus yard services such as logistics, site management and crane operations. The alliance will furthermore provide services to optimize product designs from a marine operations perspective. In the installation phase, Windstaller Alliance has the specialist competence to provide trenching and inter-array cable lay services, and to conduct towing, mooring, hook-up and commissioning operations.

During the operations phase of an offshore renewables field, the alliance will offer life of field IMR (inspection, maintenance and repair) services, CSOVs and maintenance, modification and operations support for offshore structures. 

Øyvind Mikaelsen, CEO of DeepOcean, says:

“Windstaller Alliance can also offer project management capabilities. We believe we have an ideal set-up to tear down existing efficiency silos, reduce project risk and client cost. However, we will of course also provide a fully flexible delivery and contracting model tailored to clients’ needs. The difference is that they can obtain life-of-field support in one place.”

Windstaller has also outlined a commitment to reach a zero emissions target.

Supporting this goal, Solstad Offshore, Aker Solutions and DeepOcean have all announced targets to cut emissions by 45-50 percent by 2030.

A third of DeepOcean’s fleet is aimed to be on hybrid power by 2022, and the company considers a pilot upgrade to hydrogen fuel cells. Solstad Offshore’s fleet currently has 15 vessels on battery or shore power, and the company expects to upgrade 30 percent of its 90-strong vessel fleet to hybrid solutions by 2025.

Aker Solutions, meanwhile, aims to achieve a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030.

Windstaller Alliance will be a non-incorporated, asset light alliance, with no joint ownership or liabilities for vessels or other assets, except for specifically agreed projects.