With the growth of renewables and offshore wind in particular, Jumbo Offshore is looking to use its experience in the oil and gas sector to capture a significant market share in the upcoming floating offshore wind segment. Speaking of the company’s plans for 2023, commercial manager Brian Boutkan noted that floating offshore wind will represent a significant step for the company. 

The company will be able to use its knowledge and experience from floating gas mooring systems to support this emerging energy sector. “In terms of installation, although the details are different, the principles are the same. We will be ready to use our ‘lessons learned’ from gas mooring projects to help clients in the floating offshore wind market when it scales up,” Boutkan said.

Boutkan stressed that Jumbo Offshore is a “down-to-earth” company with a healthy order book, but it follows the market. “We see the shift towards more gas projects. And, of course, the growth in renewables too; offshore wind will only become more important for us. To that end, our two vessels are well-equipped to handle the increasing size of offshore wind components. And we are also looking forward to seeing the growth of floating offshore wind,” he said.

“What we have learned in the last couple of years is that the world can change very rapidly. Companies must be able to adapt in order to survive. This is something that we are good at; we have a diverse business model and this gives us the capability to cope with change,” Boutkan stressed.

The two Jumbo Offshore vessels

The two vessels Boutkan has in mind are the two dedicated offshore vessels, the Fairplayer and the Jumbo Javelin that have been kept quite busy throughout 2022. Both have all the operational capabilities necessary for the offshore activities.

“We have the Fairplayer and the Jumbo Javelin – both with the lifting capacity and deck space that our offshore clients require,” Boutkan says. “We have been keeping the Jumbo Javelin busy for most of the year on the Taiwanese offshore wind project; that’s where her fly jib – the extension to one of her two 900-tonne cranes – really shows off its extended lifting ability.” The Fairplayer was used to carry out the remainder of the Jumbo Offshore projects this year. “She is unique because of her deep-water capabilities; for example, working in the up to two kilometre deep water of the Brazilian oil fields is her specialty.”