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Irish Mainport Holdings sets sights on offshore wind

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 29/09/2020 Alpha Marine & Mainport
Irish Mainport Holdings (Mainport) is targeting the offshore wind sector following the acquisition of a 50 metre Survey and Research Ship, the Mainport Geo, and the acquisition of a share of Alpha Marine.

Mainport operates three tugs in the Shannon estuary, provides a dedicated supply vessel at the Kinsale Natural Gas Field, as well as ship agency and stevedoring operations in Cork and Limerick. Internationally, Mainport operates seismic support ships and has interests in fast crew boats and anchor handler ship in Malaysia and Australia.


Mainport also purchased all the marine assets of SO.PRO.MAR, which was the leading Italian company in providing marine services to the Mediterranean scientific research market. A new Rome-based company, Mainport Med, was set up in 2020 with local Italian partners.


The 2015 built Mainport Geo is 50 metre long vessel equipped with a DP 2 system, quieter, and economic diesel electric engines, FIFI 1 and SPS notation for 35 passengers. She is located in Ivory Coast at present and will be delivered to Cork shortly.

Dave Ronayne, Chief Executive of Mainport said, “We are delighted with this new ship, which will be very suitable for the offshore renewable sector in Ireland. We know there is over €5 Billion investment planned over next few year on the east coast of Ireland by many major existing offshore wind operators such as Innogy, Parkwind, ESB, Statkraft, Fred Olsen and SSE and all these new wind farms will require surveying services. This ship is also very suitable for the Italian scientific research markets."


Alpha Marine been active in the offshore wind sector, both in Ireland and overseas. Since 2004, the company has provided tug and workboat charters, crew transfer vessels (CTVS), hydrographic survey, subsea repair and maintenance and, most recently, Environmental & Geophysical survey to offshore wind in Ireland and the UK.


Tim Greenwood, Commercial Director of Alpha Marine, said: “Alpha Marine is looking forward to a bright future for offshore wind in Ireland and we are naturally delighted to partner with Mainport. This strategic investment will increase our operational capability and enable us to deliver a strong Irish supply chain proposition to windfarm developers and tier 1 & 2 contractors. Over the last year or two we have seen an uptake in enquiries for geophysical survey so the added capability that the Mainport Geo brings us is very exciting indeed.”


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