OMS to Support Contraction of London Array Offshore Wind Farm (UK)

The Danish ship owner Offshore Marine Services (OMS) has recently secured a new contract for support services on the London Array offshore wind farm. The job will be handled with the multipurpose offshore support vessel OMS Pollux, which has just completed work on one of the other major energy projects in Northern Europe, the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea. The London Array-contract marks an increased focus on the growing offshore renewables industry for OMS.

The new contract covers a range of support work for one of the major cable laying contractors, who will be installing the export and inter array cables at London Array. Once completed the offshore wind farm will be the largest in the World.

The OMS Pollux will be involved in diving support work in relation to the connection of the export cables to the substation. For the safety of the divers, the OMS Pollux will utilise its recently installed four point mooring system, which enables the vessel to stay in position without the use of propellers.

The OMS Pollux departed for Rotterdam last week. After installing the necessary extra equipment in Holland, the vessel will mobilise for London Array. The OMS Pollux is expected to work in UK waters at least until the end of the year.

The vessel comes straight from another high profile offshore project in the energy sector. The OMS Pollux has on several occasions worked as a survey vessel on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which connects Russia with Germany. Most recently the OMS Pollux handled a “pig tracking” job, and previously the vessel has been deployed as a ROV survey ship doing a magnetometer survey prior to the installation of the pipeline.

–This just illustrates the versatility of the vessel, which can be used for a wide range of highly specialised offshore jobs – both in the oil and gas sector, in connection with construction projects and as support vessel for the offshore wind power industry, says Søren Mikkelsen, Managing Director of OMS.

In the offshore renewables industry the OMS Pollux has previously worked on the Horns Rev I, Horns Rev II and Sheringham Shoal projects in Denmark and the UK.

OMS was founded in 2006 and is today owned by Søren Mikkelsen and Esbjerg-based Niels Winther Shipping. OMS’ first acquisition was the former standby vessel Grampian Chieftain. The vessel was delivered to OMS in January 2006 and was fully rebuilt to serve the offshore industry. After the conversion was completed in June 2006, the vessel entered service as the OMS Pollux.

The vessel has accommodation for 16 persons in addition to the crew and is equipped with a dedicated survey room. OMS is based in Faaborg on the island of Funen and recently moved into new offices to support the future growth of the company.

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Source: OMS, August 22, 2011;