Offshore wind roundup: Billion-dollar projects and supply chain investments gather pace
Key highlights:
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Offshore wind companies continue to invest across the value chain, from new installation and support vessels to cable manufacturing, grid infrastructure and project execution.
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Developers advanced major projects through new wind farm milestones, operations bases, power purchase agreements and grid connection initiatives.
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Technology innovation remains a focus, with new floating wind platform designs and maintenance solutions aimed at improving project economics and long-term performance.
Global offshore wind activity continues to accelerate, with companies announcing new vessel investments, cable partnerships, project milestones and operations initiatives.
Recent developments from Ørsted, SSE Renewables, DeepOcean, Gazelle Wind Power, Dajin Heavy Industry, VARD, Skyborn Renewables and other offshore wind industry participants highlight continued investment across the value chain, from cable manufacturing and installation to floating wind technology, vessel construction, grid infrastructure and long-term project operations.
The following roundup highlights some of the sector's most notable developments from recent weeks.
DeepOcean, TFKable joining forces for offshore wind inter-array cables
DeepOcean is forming a joint venture with the controlling entity of TFKable Group, which includes Tele-Fonika Kable and JDR Cable Systems, to deliver integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) services for offshore wind inter-array cable projects.
The partnership plans to develop a dedicated cable-lay vessel and will combine TFKable Group's subsea cable manufacturing capabilities in the UK and Poland with DeepOcean's offshore engineering, installation and seabed intervention expertise. The companies aim to offer a fully integrated service covering project stages from route surveys and engineering through cable manufacturing, installation and protection.
The venture initially will focus on inter-array cable systems, with potential expansion into other subsea cable applications. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals.
Ørsted, Nuveen inaugurate major German offshore wind farm
Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure have inaugurated the 913-MW Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm in the German North Sea, one of Germany's largest offshore wind developments. Located about 72 km offshore and jointly owned by the partners, the project can generate enough renewable electricity to supply nearly one million German households annually.
The wind farm is expected to support Germany's energy security and decarbonization efforts while helping meet growing electricity demand from industrial and digital economy customers. Borkum Riffgrund 3 is also one of the first German offshore wind projects connected directly to TenneT's DolWin epsilon converter platform and was built using a European supply chain involving companies from several countries.
SSE selects Montrose Port for Berwick Bank B operations base
SSE Renewables has selected Montrose Port in Scotland as the preferred operations and maintenance base for its planned 1.4-GW Berwick Bank B offshore wind farm. The development is expected to create 100 permanent jobs, including technicians and engineers responsible for operating the wind farm over its projected 35-year-plus lifespan, along with about 30 construction jobs tied to the new operations hub.
Located about 38 km off Scotland's east coast, Berwick Bank B forms part of SSE's broader 4.1-GW Berwick Bank development. If fully built, the project could become the world's largest offshore wind farm, capable of generating enough electricity to meet more than 6% of UK power demand. SSE is advancing the project toward a final investment decision expected next year.
Gazelle Wind Power advances floating platform design for 18-MW-plus turbines
Gazelle Wind Power has developed and tested a new floating offshore wind platform design for turbines larger than 18 MW, targeting deployment in harsh offshore environments, including typhoon-prone regions. The company said simulations showed the platform maintained controlled motion and structural loads under both operating and extreme weather conditions.
According to Gazelle, the redesigned platform could reduce capital expenditures by about 44% and levelized cost of energy by about 52% compared with benchmark semi-submersible floating wind designs. The concept features an upgraded tripod structure and mooring system intended to support larger turbines while reducing structural weight, installation requirements and maintenance costs. Recent basin testing was completed to validate performance and support further engineering development.
Dajin selects Ulstein design for next-generation offshore installation vessel
Dajin Heavy Industry has selected the ULSTEIN HX122 design for a new offshore installation vessel aimed at supporting larger and more complex offshore wind projects. Featuring Ulstein's U-STERN and X-BOW hull designs, the vessel is being optimized for the installation of monopiles, jacket foundations and offshore substations.
The project expands Dajin Heavy Industry's role in the offshore wind sector from manufacturing, logistics and transportation into offshore installation services. Designed to handle future 4XL monopiles, the vessel is intended to help address growing installation capacity needs while supporting a more integrated approach to offshore wind project delivery. The vessel can also be used for offshore oil and gas construction and decommissioning work.
DFO orders next-generation offshore wind service vessel from VARD
Dong Fang Offshore (DFO) has awarded VARD a contract to design and build a new commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) to support offshore wind, subsea and power cable activities.
Based on the VARD 4 39 design, the vessel will be equipped for offshore wind installation and maintenance, cable installation and repair, and subsea operations. The battery-hybrid vessel will accommodate 120 personnel and feature a 700-sq-m work deck prepared for cable-lay and repair work, with delivery scheduled for the third quarter of 2028.
The contract is valued at between €66 million and €75 million (US$74.6 million and about US$85 million).
WIND expands cable services through Tricore investment
WIND has acquired a significant stake in UK-based Tricore, expanding its capabilities across the subsea cable lifecycle. The deal adds expertise in cable testing and termination, fault finding and repair, QA/QC, technical project support, and digital services, including digital twinning.
According to the companies, combining Tricore's technical capabilities with WIND's transport, handling, storage and cable recovery services will create a broader integrated offering for cable manufacturers, installation contractors, developers and transmission system operators. The companies said the move is intended to strengthen support for offshore wind, power transmission and wider energy infrastructure projects.
Skyborn secures PPA for German offshore wind farm
Skyborn Renewables has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with InCommodities Asset Management covering the 110.7-MW Nordergründe offshore wind farm in Germany. Under the agreement, InCommodities will offtake the wind farm's power and Guarantees of Origin while also providing balancing services for the asset.
Located in the German North Sea, the 18-turbine wind farm has been operating since 2017 and generates enough renewable electricity to power about 90,000 households annually. The deal marks InCommodities' first offshore wind transaction and follows Skyborn's recent move to full ownership of the project, helping establish a long-term commercial framework for the asset's continued operation.
ABL to support Germany's Ostwind 4 grid connection project
ABL has been appointed by German transmission system operator 50Hertz to provide marine warranty survey services for the Ostwind 4 offshore grid connection project in the German Baltic Sea. The development is designed to provide up to 2 GW of transmission capacity, connecting offshore wind generation to the German mainland electricity network.
The project includes an offshore converter platform, an onshore converter station and a 110-km subsea and onshore cable route. Ostwind 4 will be the first project to deploy HVDC transmission technology in the German Baltic Sea. ABL will support transportation and installation activities for the subsea cables, converter platform and associated offshore infrastructure.
ABL selected to support Gennaker offshore wind project
OWP Gennaker has selected ABL to provide marine warranty survey and marine assurance services for construction of the 976-MW Gennaker offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea. Located about 15 km offshore, the development will feature 63 wind turbines. ABL's Hamburg-based team will oversee marine assurance activities, including technical reviews, vessel inspections and offshore operation approvals to help manage installation risks in a busy maritime environment.
Cadeler, Vattenfall explore offshore wind maintenance partnership
Nexra, Cadeler's offshore wind service operation, and Vattenfall Vindkraft have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop new operations and maintenance solutions for the offshore wind sector. The collaboration will focus on major component exchange capabilities, scalable maintenance approaches and strategies to improve long-term turbine reliability and availability as turbine sizes and power ratings continue to increase.
IKM Testing trials wind turbine bearing maintenance technology at Ormonde
IKM Testing UK has demonstrated its Grease Replenishment service at Vattenfall's Ormonde Wind Farm. The technology removes hardened grease and contaminants from turbine bearings before fresh lubricant is injected, with the companies saying it could improve maintenance efficiency, reduce costs and enhance safety. The trial was conducted in partnership with ORE Catapult.
Omega Subsea expands support for offshore wind cable installation
Norway-based Omega Subsea has secured a five-year agreement with NKT to provide vessel services for the cable-laying vessel Eleonora, extending an existing partnership that also covers NKT Victoria. The contract strengthens Omega Subsea's role in supporting subsea cable installation activities for offshore wind and power transmission projects as demand for specialized offshore support services continues to grow.
About the Author
Jeremy BeckmanJeremy Beckman
Staff Writer / Editor, Europe
Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.
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Editor-in-Chief
With more than a decade of copy editing, project management and journalism experience, Ariana Hurtado is a seasoned managing editor born and raised in the energy capital of the world—Houston, Texas. She currently serves as editor-in-chief of Offshore, overseeing the editorial team, its content and the brand's growth from a digital perspective.
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Prior to her current role, she served as Offshore's editor and director of special reports from April 2022 to December 2024. Before joining Offshore, she served as senior managing editor of publications with Hart Energy. Prior to her nearly nine years with Hart, she worked on the copy desk as a news editor at the Houston Chronicle.
She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Houston.