Infrastructure investment firm enters offshore wind market

The firm is launching an investment platform, it says, dedicated to maritime offshore assets and targeting sectors ’with strong organic growth potential driven by the global energy transition’.

Partnering offshore ‘specialist’ O.S. Energy (OSE), MPC Capital has initially commissioned one Offshore Survey and Service Vessel (OSSV) from the Esbjerg Shipyard in Denmark, with an option for five more.

The OSSVs will primarily be deployed in offshore wind farms in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, says MPC.

With a spend of €130 million, the vessels are expected to be delivered between 2026 and 2028 – and the company could look to invest in other vessels further down the line, said Stefan Zenker, Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications.

“The employment strategy for the fleet will be a mix of long-term charters, multi-year contracts coupled with shorter term employment to take advantage of seasonal volatility,” said Zenker.

“Typical charterers are from the energy industry, research as well as public / governmental authorities.

“Their technical specifications make them suitable for a wide range of applications throughout the life-cycle of offshore wind farms as well as other offshore employment cases.”

The MPC OSE joint venture says the vessels have a modular engine and power grid set-up to allow a simple transition to hydrogen as a fuel, should it become a realistic option.

They will also have a DP2 system with battery pack, moonpool with LARS for ROVs and AUVs, and an active heave-compensated crane for safe deployment and recovery.

“The OSSV fleet is expected and designed for the harsh environment in Northern Europe, where MPC is also expecting the strongest growth momentum in offshore wind in the coming years,” said Zenker. “Next to the UK this is including Denmark, Germany as well as in Poland and the Baltic states.

“At the same time we are looking forward to the growth trajectory for the industry in Mediterranean as well as in Asia, where offshore wind is also expected to grow significantly.”