French offshore vessel owner Bourbon has clinched a contract to transport and install a floating offshore wind platform off Norway.
The deal for subsidiary Bourbon Subsea Services is part of a partnership with Danish manufacturer TetraSpar Demonstrator.
Bourbon Subsea will manage the 3.6-MW turbine prototype project.
The work includes loading structures from the assembly port of Grenaa in Denmark and then hooking up the platform and cables at the test site in Norway this summer.
This is the fifth floating wind turbine project Bourbon Subsea has been awarded since the company decided to target renewables in 2011.
It said the new project is "particularly innovative" in comparison with other prototypes already installed worldwide.
The defining feature is the modular "building block" arrangement.
Each foundation is assembled from tubular steel modules, most of which are common to all configurations.
Manufacturing takes place in factories using industrialised methods, the company said.
Assembly is measured in weeks not months, Bourbon Subsea added.
Innovative keel structure
The TetraSpar system features extra stability provided by a keel 50 metres below the floater.
"This keel deployment is the main challenge for the offshore installation," Bourbon Subsea said.
Patrick Belenfant, chief executive of Bourbon Subsea, said the deal was the result of a long-term team collaboration between the companies.
Henrik Stiesdal, chairman of TetraSpar Demonstrator, added that Bourbon Subsea brings experience from floating wind project execution to the effort.
"All the partners welcome their continued contribution as we move forward to the exciting next phases of the project," he said.
Bourbon's $3.2bn court rehabilitation was completed in December, and saw a group of banks taking over the company as former principal Jacques de Chateauvieux lost his shareholding.
Bourbon exited court restructuring with €1.5bn ($1.83bn) less debt at €1.06bn, including €228m in bonds redeemable for shares, but with plans to sell or scrap more than 100 ships.
New shareholders have taken a stake alongside the original banking group consisting of BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Credit Mutuel, Groupe BPCE and Societe Generale.
These five lenders will keep a majority stake, but China's ICBC Financial Leasing took 18% and UK-based Standard Chartered Bank holds 10%.
