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A
new report published by 4C Offshore
has forecast that the demand for jack-up vessels to carry out foundation
and turbine installation work on offshore windfarms will peak around 2018-2019
at a level around double that expected during 2016. This good news comes
during a difficult time - the last few months have been tough for the market
with many vessels off charter and only 9 jack-ups engaged in installation
work.
Heavy lift jack-up vessels are used extensively
by the offshore wind industry. The construction of the offshore assets
requires vessels with a large transport and lift capacity as well as the
ability to reach substantial heights. In the early days of market development,
existing vessels were deployed but post 2011 saw the arrival of second
generation vessels designed for the specialist requirements of offshore
wind projects.
During the period between 2011 and 2015,
some 16 vessels have entered the market to meet the demand for the pipeline
of projects. But the arrival of the vessels continued beyond the market
peak of nearly 2000 jack-up days in 2013. Project delays and cancellations
due to waning political enthusiasm, offshore grid connection problems and
construction costs have reduced the demand which was believed to exist
when the vessels were ordered.
To a certain extent, operation and maintenance
work has provided an alternative market for operators. DBB Jack-Up, which
has recently won a long term contract with MHI Vestas, has focussed entirely
on O&M work where as other operators use one or two dedicated vessels
which are more suited to the work. An analysis of jack-up vessel design
and vessel activities in 4C’s
report, shows that O&M
work requires a vessel which is smaller in LOA, has a shallower draft and
a lower lift capacity but needs to be able to work at similar water depths
to that of installation vessels.
Routine maintenance on windfarms is supported
with crew boats and DP vessels but breakdowns and preventative interventions
where major component changes are required necessitate the involvement
of a jack up vessel. Analysing deployments at offshore wind parks containing
over 1500 turbines has found the first five years to require, on average,
around five times more jack-up interventions than later years.
4C
Offshore’s latest report ‘Supply and demand for jack-ups for offshore
wind construction and maintenance’
includes an extensive analysis of the use of jack-up vessels in the offshore
wind market. This analysis has been combined with the future pipeline of
projects so that operators, owners and developers can identify how much
work is required in each year and country, expressed as numbers of jack-up
days or numbers of vessels required for installation activities.
Beyond 2020 demand for jack-up installation
activities under the current scenario decreases again. However, increased
demand is possible if new European markets emerge or the decreasing costs
of offshore wind stimulate renewed commitments from market leaders UK and
Germany.
For information about the Construction
and maintenance vessel subscription
please follow the links provided. Alternatively you can contact a member
of the 4C Offshore team on +44 (0)1502
307037.
