Danish tanker and bunker group Monjasa’s offshore subsidiary CBED has expanded its wind farm business by snapping up two service operation vessels (SOV) from Dutch owner Vroon.
The 80-loa ships are being renamed the Wind Evolution and Wind Creation (both built 2017) from the VOS Start and VOS Stone.
Delivery is expected at the end of March next year.
The UK-flagged SOVs will be docked for name changes and repainting, and then start inspection, maintenance and repair work in the second quarter.
The sides have chosen not to reveal the sales price.
The deal brings the CBED fleet to three SOVs, including the 93-loa Wind Innovation (built 1999).
CBED said that the coming decade is likely to bring unprecedented demand for vessels to service projects in the offshore sector.
There is a gap in the market when it comes to the supply of necessary offshore logistics ships, the company argues.
Daniel Alon, CBED’s general manager, said: “We have been looking for the right opportunity to expand our fleet for a long time, so we are very pleased to have sealed the deal on these two very modern sister vessels.
“We see a very strong market now, and looking ahead, there will be an even higher demand for high-quality, purpose-built SOVs like Wind Evolution, Wind Creation and of course our existing Wind Innovation.”
OSV fleet sold
For Vroon, the deal is a continuation of a divestment of offshore vessels.
In September, the refinanced company sold 30 offshore support vessels (OSVs) to Britoil Offshore Services in Singapore.
The companies said the deal also includes two management offices in Singapore and Italy.
Vroon added that the transaction, involving platform supply vessels and anchor-handling tug supply ships, left it a “strong international shipping company”.
The owner has now offloaded around 40 OSVs, after a deal in August that saw Golden Energy Offshore Services of Norway take five. Rederij Groen from the Netherlands has taken over two other ships.
Vroon’s debt has been cut from almost $1bn to $350m.
The company retains two crew transfer vessels and a wind turbine installation vessel.
Former owners the Vroon family will keep a small stake as the group focuses on its fleet of 65 product and high-heat tankers, livestock carriers and emergency response and rescue vessels.
Vroon’s chief executive Martijn Schouten said: “Vroon and CBED will work together towards a seamless handover of the vessels, which we are confident will continue delivering a high-quality service to the offshore energy industry for many years to come.”
