Foss inks U.S. offshore wind MOU with Østensjø Rederi

Edda Mistral

Foss Maritime LLC, Seattle, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Haugesund, Norway, headquartered Østensjø Rederi AS to establish a partnership to provide domestic Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) for offshore wind projects in U.S. waters.

“After spending time in Europe engaging with marine service providers, we are very fortunate to have developed this relationship with the experienced team at Østensjø,” said Paul Gallagher, Vice President at Foss Maritime said. “We look forward to bringing the collective resources of our two companies together to develop safe and cost competitive marine solutions for the offshore renewables market in the United States.”

“Østensjø Rederi has several years of experience operating SOVs servicing offshore wind farms across Europe,” said Østensjø Rederi CEO Kenneth Walland. “In Foss Maritime we believe we have found an ideal partner for adapting these services to the American market. We look forward to expanding our offering to the U.S, market, and along with Foss, we aim to provide the highest quality service to owners and operators of windfarms in the U.S.”

Foss currently operates a fleet of more than 200 tugs and barges and has more than 1,400 employees in regional operations across the U.S. In addition to providing domestic and international harbor and marine transportation services, the company has extensive experience building Jones Act compliant vessels.

Østensjø has more than 40 years’ experience operating tugs and offshore vessels. The company currently operates a fleet of more than 30 vessels and has more than 500 employees. The company has significant experience in offshore wind, having operated up to five SOVs at a time in the market. This includes two tailor-made newbuilds, Edda Passat and Edda Mistral. Built by Spanish shipbuilder Gondan, both h are on long-term contracts to Ørsted in the U.K.