New vessels planned by Seajacks
Great Yarmouth offshore company Seajacks is looking at a multi-million pound investment to add two or more giant self-propelled jack-up liftboats to its fleet.
The decision to at least double the fleet follows the sale of the firm to the American private equity group Riverstone Holdings for £130m. Riverstone said it would be investing substantial new capital into the business.
The aim is to have the first of the new vessels ready for the first quarter of 2012.
Its existing liftboats, Leviathan and Kraken, are suitable for turbine maintenance and construction platforms for offshore windfarms.
Kraken is to be involved in the construction of the Walney windfarms in the Irish Sea in a £48m contract with Dong Energy, while sister ship Leviathan is working on the Greater Gabbard windfarm off Suffolk in a £39m deal with Fluor.
Among the new windfarms planned is the East Anglian Array – with its 1,000 turbines - about 15 miles offshore from Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
Seajacks managing director Blair Ainslie said the new vessels would allow faster and more efficient installation of turbines and foundations offshore, and provide the company with an excellent platform for expansion into other aspects of a major growth industry.
local news supplied by East Coast Live
