BELFAST YARD CHASES OFFSHORE DEAL

The provisional agreement between London-based InfraStrata and Triumph Subsea Services envisages a large, multi-role newbuild of 200m x 35m for delivery from InfraStrata’s wholly-owned subsidiary Harland & Wolff in Northern Ireland, and carries an option on a second ship.

At this stage, there is no binding contract, but both parties are looking to formalise the project by the end of June next year.

Although Triumph Subsea Services is a new name in the industry, it claims that its personnel “share over 500 years of combined marine and subsea expertise”. The company has ambitious plans for an extensive fleet of offshore construction, maintenance and mining vessels. Just prior to the announcement of the LOI with InfraStrata, it entered into a deal with Croatian shipbuilder Brodosplit for a series of field development vessels to be completed from the end of 2023 onwards.

As with the newbuilds entrusted to Brodosplit, the tonnage under discussion with InfraStrata would be based on a design prepared by the Norwegian consultancy Skipsteknisk (ST). The WDVs foreseen from Belfast would provide a turnkey solution for both offshore fixed and floating windfarm installations, with the capability also to undertake subsea cable laying as well as offshore carbon capture and ‘green’ hydrogen schemes.

The ships would be specified with diesel-electric power and propulsion, incorporating a hybrid battery element and provision for future use of hydrogen fuel cells. Particular consideration has been given to ‘green’ credentials in mind not only of the path of environmental legislation but more specifically the strategies of windfarm developers.

The UK Government has recently not only declared that it aims to consolidate the country’s leading role in offshore wind energy, by attaining least 40GW of installed wind power capacity, but has also indicated that constructors will be obliged to have a minimum UK content in order to be eligible for, and monetise, the various government-led incentives. Against this backdrop, the Triumph WDVs are expected to be fabricated with local content from a UK supply chain and to be principally employed for UK projects.

The next steps towards a firm contract will involve analysis of the detailed design packages, agreement on timelines and milestones in the build process, and placing of the necessary financing structures by Triumph and its partners with Harland & Wolff.

InfraStrata’s chief executive officer John Wood said “This LOI is one of many potential projects that we are working on and is in line with our strategy to make the Harland & Wolff Group a leading shipbuilder and fabrication company in the UK.”

“Given the expected quantum of local content that will be required in all UK renewable projects in the future, we have positioned our shipyards (Belfast and Appledore) to provide pathways to our project development clients, which easily meet their obligations to the Government as they move from the planning to the construction phase of their respective projects,” he added.

InfraStrata completed the acquisition of the principal assets of Harland & Wolff, Belfast, during December 2019, and subsequently acquired the Appledore yard in Devon during August 2020. Although H&W completed its last commercial vessel newbuild in 2003, it subsequently maintained a presence in heavy engineering, steel fabrication, renewables, ship repair and refurbishment. InfraStrata is pursuing, and acting upon, new opportunities across the spectrum, from standard ship repair through to complex fabrication and shipbuilding.

One avenue towards the resumption of shipbuilding at Belfast is the agreement signed this year between InfraStrata and the Spanish shipbuilding and defence group Navantia. The initial objective of the collaboration is to attract the order for up to three naval auxiliary vessels (fleet solid support ships) planned by the UK Ministry of Defence.

The partnership, to operate under the name Team Resolute, will also pursue other opportunities within the UK defence sector, including modernisation and retrofit schemes.