JV aims to build and operate U.S. offshore wind support vessels

Written by Nick Blenkey
image description

SOV connected to wind turbine

Bernhard Schulte Offshore GmbH (BSO) and MidOcean Wind LLC (MOW) have entered into a joint venture to build and operate support vessels for the U.S. offshore wind industry as well as to explore opportunities in other sectors of U.S. merchant shipping.

The Connecticut-based joint venture marks another step forward in a cooperation between BSO and MOW hat began in late 2018 when the two parties partnered in WINDEA Offshore U.S. to provide a single point of contact for offshore wind customers in the U.S.

“We have been following the successes of the Schulte Group for some time now and recognize they share the same business values and focus on long-term partnerships,” said Volckert van Reesema, co-founder and principal of MOW .”Their experience in the operation of offshore wind vessels is needed to support this upcoming new industry in the U.S.”

“The Schulte Group has a track record of more than 550 new-building projects around the globe and MidOcean is a specialist at building vessels of various types under the local regulations in several U.S. shipyards,” said Matthias Müller, Managing Director of BSO. “Since the on-time delivery of a vessel to our charterers is critical, we are the ideal partners to support the U.S. offshore wind industry with specialized units.”

“Wind farm owners and turbine manufacturers will be able to reduce their risks by working with our team,” said Bradley Neuberth of MOW. “MidOcean will ensure the vessels will be Jones Act compliant and delivered as agreed. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement as the operator of the ships will bring the learnings of the European wind farm projects into the U.S. market. We have been working closely with the Schulte Group for more than a year and the time is right to formalize our partnership on offshore wind vessels.”

MidOcean Wind (MOW) is a subsidiary of MidOcean Marine, a privately-owned company specializing in niche U.S.-flag maritime projects that builds and positions assets for underserved and unmet market needs. MidOcean has owned 20+ ships and has 35+ years experience operating U.S. vessels and is a U.S. Jones Act compliant shipowner.

Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) is a member of family-owned, Hamburg, Germany, headquartered Schulte Group. Overall, the Schulte Group employs 18,000 seafarers and 1,800 people on shore, owns 90 vessels and manages over 600 vessels globally. Bernhard Schulte is a pioneers in offshore wind owning and operating Service Operation Vessels (SOV) since 2015.

Categories: News, Renewables Tags: , , ,