Fred. Olsen, Japan’s Shimizu to partner on offshore wind installations

Fred. Olsen Ocean (FOO), a subsidiary of Norwegian group Bonheur ASA (OSL:BON), will partner on offshore wind installation projects with Japanese construction group Shimizu Corp (TYO:1803), which is taking delivery next year of its own jack-up vessel.

The partnership, announced by FOO today, covers Japan, which aims to develop 10 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, as well as the global market. It combines FOO's expertise in offshore wind turbine installations with Shimizu’s construction skills and knowledge of the Japanese market.

Fred. Olsen Windcarrier (FOWIC) will be the leading partner for projects outside Japan that involve Shimizu’s vessel, while the Japanese company will be the leading partner for projects at home.

FOWIC will assist Shimizu in the planning and execution of upcoming offshore wind installations in Japan and help with personnel training. It will also supplement Shimizu’s vessel in Japan when needed.

Shimizu is building a jack-up capable of installing large turbines, even as large as 12 MW, it says. The vessel is due to be delivered in late 2022.

FOO includes FOWIC, Global Wind Service and United Wind Logistics. FOWIC has three existing vessels that will complete a crane upgrade programme in 2024/25 to become consistent with the 13-MW-15-MW, and bigger, turbines. It aims to construct a fourth vessel.

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