Damen Shipyards Group and GustoMSC have announced a partnership to build self-propelled and non-self-propelled jack-up platforms — dubbed the DG Jack range — for the global offshore industries.
“We are very pleased to team-up with Damen to provide their clients proven and reliable jack-up solutions,” said GustoMSC managing director Nils van Nood. “These jack-ups form an expansion of the Damen portfolio targeting the offshore markets in oil & gas, renewables like offshore wind, and civil construction. The jack-ups will be based on GustoMSC’s proven designs and will include GustoMSC’s proven jacking systems.”
The idea behind the collaboration was to combine GustoMSC’s experience in designing jack-ups and jacking systems with Damen’s full-service shipbuilding background, allowing the partners to control the entire process from basic design to construction to after-sales care.
The platforms are being marketed to both the renewable and non-renewable energy sectors. In a press release, Damen said the decision to embark on the collaboration was based on feedback from offshore stakeholders.
“The DG Jack will provide a bridge between the offshore energy sectors and offer the versatility to carry out multiple and varied tasks, safely, efficiently and at competitive rates, in line with market expectations,” said Damen chief commercial officer Arnout Damen.
With oil prices still at a low ebb, the partners are presenting the DG Jack as a cost-effective solution for the oil and gas markets, and a welcome new player for the growing offshore wind industry.
According to Damen, as wind farms are placed further offshore and in deeper water, different jack-up capabilities will be required, and the partners see this as a trend that will continue long term.
“Wind turbine capacity has grown 41.1% from 2010 to 2015,” said Peter Robert, head of business development for Damen. “In 2015, the average capacity of new wind turbines installed was 4.2 MW, a significant increase from 3.0 MW in 2010, reflecting a period of continuous development in turbine technology to increase energy yields at sea. The deployment of 4-6 MW turbines seen in 2015 will be followed by the gradual introduction of 6-8 MW turbines closer towards 2018.”
