Glasgow-headquartered subsea specialist Sulmara has signed a three-year deal with Atlantic Offshore to charter the DP II multi-purpose support vessel Ocean Marlin, that will undergo substantial refitting to accommodate the needs of renewable energy sector.
As part of the contract, Sulmara, who earlier in February announced the signing of a Master Service Agreement with Asso.subsea, will undertake a substantial refit of the emergency response rescue vessel (ERRV) to transform it for use in the renewables sector.
The refit will include the installation of class-leading survey equipment, a subsea crane with active heave compensation, and the creation of extra bed space.
Sulmara’s CEO Kevin McBarron noted that the decision to go down the unconventional route of repurposing ERRV aligns with Sulmara’s ambitions to deliver work for clients that has as little an impact on the environment as possible.
“This deal is a step change for Sulmara as we continue to challenge conventions and find new ways of working to increase our capabilities and further support our clients in their projects and achieving their net zero targets.
“Sulmara has proven the capabilities of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) for certain offshore survey tasks and our vision is for their use to be widespread in the industry, but we recognize the current limitations of the technology.
“USVs are not the answer to all of our clients’ needs and there is still a place for conventional ships. In partnering with Atlantic Offshore, we can bring a vessel that is as fuel efficient and environmentally friendly as possible to the market.
“We’ll be tracking the efficiency of the vessel throughout 2024, comparing emissions and fuel burn to existing and older assets in an effort to highlight the sustainability benefits of our solutions to both our clients and the wider industry,” said McBarron.
Built in 2014, the Ocean Marlin is 2298GT, with ample deck space for a range of mobilized equipment and accommodation for 28 Sulmara and client personnel. The vessel is likely to commence activities for Sulmara in late first quarter of 2024 and will initially operate on projects across Europe.
“The multi-million-pound upgrade to the vessel includes installation of both WROV and ObsROV vehicles to complement a 34T AHC crane and a full survey and positioning spread, as well as further engineering upgrades to support the deployment of a wide range of fixed and towed equipment,” added McBarron.
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