A2Sea acquires JB109 from Jack-up Barge

Offshore wind turbine transport and installation contractor, A2Sea A/S, has acquired the installation barge JB109 and related assets from Jack-Up Barge B.V. A2Sea, headquartered in Denmark, bought the barge from the Dutch company for an undisclosed price and will rename it Sea Worker.

Including Sea Worker, the A2Sea fleet is two rigs and two special purpose crane-ship vessels. The company can now install the foundations as well as the topsides and larger turbines for offshore wind farms.

A2Sea has experienced strong growth since it acquired its first jack-up rig, Sea Jack, a year ago. The company estimates that its turnover will triple in 2008 to more than DKK 300 million (US$58 million).

"The acquisition has further strengthened A2SEA's position in the market as the leading contractor in installation of offshore wind farms," said Jens Frederik Hansen, A2Sea CEO. "We are now in a position enabling us to bid for a larger number and more challenging projects. In addition, this acquisition has enabled us to offer a wider range of services, for example, higher installation capacity for the waters west of Great Britain where we are experiencing an increasing activity."

The European market for wind power is growing rapidly, according to A2Sea. The number of megawatts produced offshore is expected to increase from an estimated capacity of 750 MW in 2006 to more than 12,000 MW in 2015, A2Sea continued. Per Staehr, A2Sea chairman, commented, "We are in close dialogue with the market and prepare ourselves to the future. If the customers are willing to commit to future co-operation, A2Sea is ready to make the necessary investments to secure that we have the required capacity to meet our customers' demands."

In 2008 A2Sea's four vessels are all 100% booked, the company said. Sea Power, with her newly extended "legs" that allow work in deeper water will, for the next year, be fully employed with service works and installation of 91 offshore wind turbines at the Horns Rev 2 site off the Danish coast where the rig Sea Jack is installing turbine foundations. Sea Power is booked to install 91 wind turbines at the wind farm Rødsand 2. Sea Energy, A2Sea's second special-purpose vessel, is working as a feeder vessel on the Robin Rigg project, where she transports wind turbines from Belfast in Ireland to Sea Worker, which is booked to install the 60 Vestas V90 wind turbines for this project.