German shipmanager Harren & Partner (H&P) has become the latest entrant into the rapidly expanding offshore wind installation market.
The Bremen-based company has launched SAL Renewables following the acquisition of the jack-up wind farm installation vessel Wind Lift I (built 2010).
Martin Harren, managing director of H&P, said wind power had been a “cornerstone” of the company’s business in the past few years.
“The world’s demand for energy is higher than ever, and a major energy transition is underway,” he said in a statement.
“SAL Renewables is a perfect supplement to our established logistics business, but also something new.
Expanding offerings
“By offering maintenance and component installation services predominantly for the wind turbines themselves, we are expanding our total service offerings to the global renewables market while also meeting the toughest individual demands and expectations in the offshore markets.”
H&P said the new outfit would be a sister company to SAL Heavy Lift and would focus on the offshore maintenance and installation of wind turbines and their corresponding components.
SAL says it is already an “established and preferred” logistics provider to contractors and turbine manufacturers in the offshore wind sector.
“Today, SAL Renewables opens its doors as a supplier of specialised vessels as well as maintenance and installation solutions to the offshore wind industry,” it said.
H&P did not disclose the company from which it acquired the Wind Lift I, nor any financial terms of the transaction.
“Wind Lift I represents an important enhancement of our fleet. It extends our scope of action to provide our customers with comprehensive, yet customised, solutions,” SAL Renewables managing director Heiko Felderhoff said.
“Wind Lift I is a highly adaptable vessel. There are only few things it can’t do, it’s kind of like a Swiss army knife. This asset makes for a great start for our new venture with SAL Renewables.”
Matthieu Moerman, head of projects at SAL Renewables, added: “Megawatts capacity of wind parks keep increasing and old wind parks will need to be renewed with new turbines or decommissioned.
“With Wind Lift I, we are not only targeting the installation and maintenance market but also decommissioning and upgrading of old existing wind parks.”
