DEME and Penta-Ocean Form Offshore Wind Tie-Up in Japan

Japanese marine contractor Penta-Ocean Construction and DEME Offshore have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to establish a joint venture company to collaborate in the field of offshore wind construction in Japan.

In March 2020, Penta-Ocean and DEME Offshore signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the field of offshore wind power construction in Japan, and have been promoting technological exchanges.

The two companies have now agreed to establish a joint venture company by June this year. The investment ratio will be 51 per cent by Penta-Ocean and 49 per cent by DEME Offshore.

The new company will own a foreign-flagged offshore installation vessel upgraded to the one equipped with a 1,600t lifting capacity crane, which will be changed to a Japanese-flagged vessel by the spring of 2025.

As a result, Penta-Ocean will own three offshore installation vessels, including CP-8001, a vessel equipped with an 800t crane completed in 2019, and CP-16001, a vessel equipped with a 1,600t crane that is currently under construction jointly with Kajima Corporation and Yorigami Maritime Construction.

The Japanese government has set targets for the development of 10 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, and 30-45 GW by 2040.

New regulations concerning wind power energy generation at sea, as well as in port and harbour areas. The public tender for the selection of developers has already begun in the first round promotion zones in the general sea area.

While the country has very favourable wind conditions, it also has challenging subsoils, which can be a mixture of sand and rocks, DEME said.

”These complex conditions often mean that drilling expertise is necessary at offshore wind farm locations,” Niels van Berlaer, Business Unit Director Asia-Pacific DEME Offshore, said.

”But both companies have these skills in-house, given their dredging activities. By bringing these two leading companies together, we believe we can make a significant contribution to the long-term development of the offshore wind sector in Japan. Demonstrating our confidence in the vast potential of the Japanese market, and our willingness to support the sector, we are also considering bringing DEME Offshore equipment into Japan.”