Baltica 2, located 40 km offshore Poland in the Baltic Sea, will comprise of 107 x 14 MW wind turbine generators (WTGs) and four substations installed on monopile foundations. Once fully completed, the Baltica project is expected to provide enough renewable energy to power 2,5 million Polish homes, according to developers.

ABL’s scope of work covers the marine transportation and offshore installation (T&I) of the 107 WTGs. The project is expected to be fully commissioned by the end of 2027.

Under the terms of the contract, ABL will provide technical review and approval of project documentation, drawings and calculations, marine assurance and risk services including vessel suitability surveys for the proposed fleet and DP trials where required, and also on-site attendance to review, approve and oversee all warranted operations.

“Along with our sister company OWC, who is based in Poland, we have significant experience in supporting the Baltic Sea’s offshore wind development in a number of capacities. This includes our work as MWS to support the construction of the Baltic Eagle offshore wind project and supporting more than 3 GW of potential offshore wind capacity with a range of engineering services, from technical advisory, cost engineering, geotechnical and GIS support.”

Tilo Klappenbach, ABL’s Country Manager in Germany

ABL’s operation in Hamburg, Germany, will manage the project. On-site attendances and vessel surveys will be supported by ABL’s wider European footprint, including ABL’s offices in Norway, Netherlands, France and UK. It may also draw on the specialised advisory and engineering consultancy expertise of OWC Poland, based out of offices in Warsaw and Gdansk.

“We will bring ABL’s global expertise in marine transportation and installation operations for offshore wind to support this important step in Poland’s offshore wind development. We combine the track-record, multi-disciplined marine and engineering expertise, and footprint across Northern Europe to execute this project.”

Adds Klappenbach

ABL is part of global consultancy ABL Group ASA, which delivers energy, marine, engineering and digital solutions to drive safety and sustainability in renewables, maritime and oil and gas in more than 43 countries worldwide.

Contact ABL to discover more on how our offering in marine warranty survey (MWS) supports offshore wind projects across Europe, whether at construction, operations and maintenance (O&M), or at decommissioning:

The post ABL drafted to support Baltica 2 offshore wind farm in Poland appeared first on ABL.

“As the largest region in ABL, these meetings are integral to strengthening collaboration between countries and technical teams, exchanging best practices and knowledge, and in identifying key areas for growth, to ensure that we are best placed to support our clients and markets.

“In 2024 we saw significant growth in the region in several areas. We expanded our Black Sea operations with a new office in Constanta, Romania. We diversified our service portfolio with the introduction of the water management and numerical modelling consultants, Hidromod – which also substantially reinforced ABL’s operations in the strategic market of Portugal. Lastly, we continued to develop our presence and activities to support African marine and energy markets, with gains made in Nigeria, Senegal and Mauritania, and the Republic of Congo.”

Hugues Delanoue, Regional Managing Director for ABL in Europe and West Africa

The meeting was the first in which Hidromod was able to participate since its acquisition by ABL’s parent company, ABL Group, in October 2024. It, therefore, was a chance to deepen understanding across the regional operations, of Hidromod’s unique expertise and software solutions to support hydrological forecasting in different marine, energy and agricultural scenarios.

Other topics for discussion covered ABL’s European and West African offering in the following areas: marine warranty survey (MWS), dynamic positioning (DP) and critical systems, rig inspections operations, maritime services including ports and harbours consulting and engineering, electrification and the expansion of ABL’s expertise in both technical due diligence and owner’s engineering for energy and maritime sectors.

ABL Europe and West Africa includes offices in Bulgaria, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holland, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Romania, Senegal and Turkey.

ABL Europe and West Africa in the news in 2024

ABL won a wide range of contracts across energy and oceans in 2024, including several significant energy infrastructure projects for European and African countries, as well as to support high-profile renewable energy construction projects, and the development of emerging energy transition technologies.

Here is a small selection:

ABL to assess navigational risk for Finland’s 1st open-sea offshore wind farm. Read more.

TenneT appoints consultancy ABL for Dutch 2GW export cables. Read more.

ABL part of North Sea green hydrogen initiative. Read more.

ABL to support offshore installation of French-Spanish interconnector. Read more.

ENI drafts ABL for Congo floating LNG transportation and installation verification. Read more.

ABL electrifying zero-emission offshore charging station. Read more.

ABL to provide marine warranty survey for Neptun Deep in the Black Sea. Read more.

The post ABL Europe & West Africa Power Up for 2025 appeared first on ABL.

What does your day-to-day look like at ABL?

“My day-to-day activities are quite varied. Some days, I conduct suitability or condition surveys and other marine warranty survey duties, sometimes outside Lagos while other days, I am in the office reviewing engineering documents, writing reports, checking others’ reports for approval, preparing report templates, and contributing to bid preparation.”

What inspired you to join your industry?

From a young age, I have felt a strong sense of responsibility for the safety of life, property, and the environment, particularly in the maritime transportation sector. Watching Titanic as a child sparked my interest, and this led to choose a career in the industry. I wanted to work with a team or company that prioritises safety in the maritime sector, ensuring the enforcement of various maritime conventions and approving procedures that guarantee safe operations, luckily for me I found ABL.

Can you tell us about something exciting you are working on right now?

I recently worked on a thrilling trailered load-out operation of a story living quarters in Port Harcourt. The operation involved moving 610 tons living quarters, using a GO modular transporter, from the land onto a floating barge and it was an amazing experience to witness the complexities of ballast and deballasting, adjusting for tide changes, and managing the off-centre gravity of the structure. Seeing the operation completed on time and on budget was truly exciting.

What does the future look like in energy and oceans in Nigeria?

The future of energy in Nigeria is promising, with continued exploration of oil and gas, new discoveries, and a growing emphasis on offshore development. Oil companies are increasingly focused on developing existing fields, while the government is actively working on tax reforms to improve the investment climate. In addition to offshore oil and gas, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are gaining traction, particularly in the northern regions of the country.

What do you enjoy most about working as part of the ABL Group team in Lagos?

What I enjoy most is the strong sense of community and teamwork within the ABL Group team in Lagos. You never feel isolated; there is always a supportive environment, and the team makes you feel special, especially on your birthday. I also enjoy the friendly relationships we have with freelancers, creating a warm and collaborative work atmosphere.

More about Kabiru

Position: Junior Engineer

Office: Lagos

Hobbies: Research

Favourite Movie: Titanic

Next month, don’t miss Kabiru and the rest of our local maritime experts at this year’s Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) in Lagos Nigeria. Book a meeting on stand HO2 to discuss ABL’s expertise in marine warranty survey and engineering consultancy services supporting major offshore activity in Nigeria and the wider region

The post Meet Kabiru Oyegbemi – Junior Engineer, ABL Nigeria appeared first on ABL.

What does your day look like at ABL?

Being a surveyor requires flexibility, which includes attending to existing cases and new cases. When I am not out on survey, I prefer to get to the office pretty early, when it’s a bit quieter. I attend to client emails, whilst monitoring active cases and on occasion I handle towage and voyage approvals. Day-to-day in the office, I will also be arranging surveys required for the day or week ahead.

What inspired you to join your industry?

“I started as a deck cadet in 2003, in offshore diamond drilling operations, working in my home country of Namibia. Since that time, I have always been inspired by Mariners who have dedicated their lives at sea and come ashore to drive and enhance the marine industry. In terms of surveying, I purposely transitioned into it from sea, as I believe that seagoing experience and technical knowledge assists in creating transparency and a 3^rd party oversight over ships and marine assets for the Underwriters and Owners.

I just love the ocean and ships and believe their effects globally are at times underestimated.”

Can you tell us about something exciting you are working on right now?

I have recently transitioned from the Maritime department to the Offshore department, for marine warranty survey (MWS) exposure, where I look forward to playing an integral part in executing rig moves and various MWS related tasks. I have also recently attended surveys of dredgers that are engaged in gas pipeline deployment from sea to ashore in Afungi, Mozambique. I am enthusiastic about this ongoing project, which will require continued involvement, and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

With Africa’s initiatives to enhance trade and sustainability in its maritime sector, Can you tell us what you think the future of energy and oceans looks like in your home country of Namibia?

The recent oil discovery in my home country reflects a potentially bright energy future for the country, with suggestions even of Namibia being the next Guyana for oil. Green hydrogen has gained momentum as a new renewable energy, and considering the abundance of heat and wind, Namibia can be considered as well positioned for renewable energy development. Furthermore, there are plan for the local port authority to expand its infrastructure to align with the future oil and gas demands, creating more new opportunity in energy and oceans locally.

Though my work is with ABL’s operations in the UAE, I am very excited to see our operations and team in South Africa diversifying its support to the Namibian energy sector. With collaboration as one of our core values across ABL Group, I hope and look forward to the opportunity to also contribute as ABL and our sister company, the renewable energy consultants, OWC, further develop their footprint in Namibia.

What do you enjoy most about working as part of the ABL Group team in Dubai?

The team is very diverse and professional in all areas and the vast amount of experience makes work a lot of fun and easier in a way. I find the social gatherings during tea /lunch breaks, interesting in that colleagues get to discuss global topics and those that are not work related, allowing one to take their mind off work.

More about Erastus

Position: Senior Surveyor

Office: Dubai

Hobbies: Running / jogging and watching football also learning to play the guitar

Favourite book: ‘The Monk who sold his Ferrari’.

ABL brings together the deepest pool of multi-disciplinary expertise to support all areas of shipping, from early advisory and technical due diligence, navigational planning, early engineering, vessel design and modifications, through to operations, with surveys, inspections and audits as well as world-class marine warranty survey, to supporting in the minimising of losses with marine casualty management, salvage and wreck removal, and expert witness work.

The post Meet Erastus Nashima, Senior Surveyor, ABL Dubai, UAE appeared first on ABL.

The IJmuiden Ver Beta, Ijmuiden Ver Gamma and Nederwiek 2 grid connections are integral to the Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap 2030 of the Dutch Government by which TenneT will develop a total of seven 2GW offshore wind grid connections by 2030/2031.

Combined, the cables for the three projects are over 500 kilometres in length and will export 6 GW of electricity to the grid, enough to power up the equivalent of six million homes.

ABL’s Germany branch, based in Hamburg, will manage the project, which will be undertaken by a team of multi-disciplined marine and engineering consultants. The project will run until 2029. ABL has not disclosed the value of the contract.

ABL’s scope of work includes the technical review and approval of all documentation, procedures and drawings related to the warranted activities, as well as suitability surveys. ABL’s German operation will also resource on-site attendances at both fabrication and loadout sites, as well as offshore, to review and approve warranted transportation and installation operations.

“This project award represents our continued strong collaboration with TenneT to support its critical subsea cables operations and electrification campaign. We are very pleased to have been selected to support this important 2GW program, which will make a significant contribution to the transmission of clean net-zero energy to the Netherlands, Germany and beyond in Europe.”

Tilo Klappenbach, ABL’s Country Manager in Germany

TenneT, is one of Europe’s leading Transmission System Operators.

ABL is part of Oslo-listed consultancy group ABL Group ASA. ABL specialises in marine warranty services, marine assurance and risk, maritime consultancy services, and engineering and consultancy.

ABL Germany shares an office in Hamburg with our sister company, the renewable energy consultants, OWC.

Together we provide a comprehensive technical service offering, covering engineering, marine and consultancy services to support renewable energy projects from concept to operations.

Discover our track-record in German offshore wind in numbers:

• +5 marine navigational studies and quantitative navigational analyses for BSH
• +20 offshore wind farms
• +9 GW of capacity
• +4 wind energy yield assessments for BSH since 2020

The post TenneT appoints consultancy ABL for Dutch 2GW Export Cables appeared first on ABL.

ABL New Zealand will offer the company’s full range of energy and marine consultancy services, with a particular focus on bringing ABL’s more than 150 years of legacy in marine surveying and consulting to support the country’s maritime industries.

“New Zealand, with its size and strategic location in the South Pacific, is a pivotal hub for maritime activities, including shipping, with 99.7% of New Zealand’s trade transported by sea. Given the country’s unique characteristics – its size, isolation, and reliance on international trade – offering a comprehensive range of consultancy services represents an exciting opportunity for ABL. I am very excited to take on this new role.”

Morwenna Vye, Country Lead, ABL New Zealand

Leveraging the global expertise and resources of ABL Group, the new office will specialise in services including technical due diligence, technical advisory and management consultancy, vessel and yacht surveys, safety and compliance audits, ports & harbours consultancy, marine warranty survey and marine casualty management.

Master Mariner Vye has been appointed as country lead. She brings almost 20 years of experience in shipyard management, super yachts builds and brokerage. She has worked as a maritime regulator and investigator and has accreditation in ISM and ISO auditing. She joins ABL from the government agency Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).

In addition to maritime services, ABL will support the local market in its renewables and decarbonisation initiatives with the company’s multi-disciplined energy transition engineering services, including expertise in emissions consulting and electrification.

“Establishing a market presence in New Zealand is the natural next step for ABL, following almost 40 years of growth in the region. This move better enables us to provide our global service offering via local expertise, supporting more clients, more rapidly and across more markets. The new office also provides a platform off which to launch our market-leading renewable energy consultancy to support New Zealand’s promising offshore wind potential.”

Simon Healy, ABL’s Regional Managing Director for Asia-Pacific

ABL has been operational in Australasia since 1988, born out of the presence of AqualisBraemar and LOC. The company’s regional headquarter is located in Perth, with further offices in Sydney and Melbourne.

Part of global consultancy ABL Group ASA, it is joined in the region by sister companies, the renewable energy consultants – OWC, wells and reservoir management experts – AGR, and the Group’s design house – Longitude Engineering.   

ABL New Zealand is located at 155 Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, and can be reached at +64 (0) 220363711.

The post ABL launches operations in New Zealand appeared first on ABL.

Some highlights from the month:

• ABL Group companies ABL and Longitude attended SMM Hamburg 2024, with Stefano Scarpa, ABL Group’s Associate Director for Maritime Decarbonisation chairing a panel for International Windship Association on the topic “How to get more wind propulsion technology on ships.”
• IUMI 2024 in Berlin was well attended by ABL Group team members from around the world. Alex Harrison, ABL Group MD for Energy Services gave a presentation on the critical panel discussion of “Installation vessel shortages for offshore wind projects.” Christoph Grams, Senior Maritime Surveyor for ABL Germany participated on the Ocean Hull committee’s panel discussion “Conflict to Clean Energy: The Shipping Sector’s Route through Contemporary Challenges.”
• ABL Group companies ABL, OWC and Longitude exhibited at WindEnergy Hamburg 2024, with a large delegation of offshore wind specialists from around Europe supporting the significant in-house capabilities of the local office to showcase the Group’s though-life expertise for offshore wind projects.
• In addition, ABL Germany has won another contract from Germany’s Federal Marine and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) to support the DEMASK Project – Development and Evaluation of Noise Management Strategies to keep the North Sea Healthy. ABL’s role in the project includes scenario design for assessing various noise mitigation strategies, utilising AIS-derived and synthetic vessel data inputs to support sound propagation modelling. ABL Germany will lead this project with specialist support from the Ports & Harbours team in London.

About ABL Group in Germany

ABL Group in Germany is based in Hamburg and has an established presence in the German market since 2019. Our local capabilities combine ABL’s marine legacy, excellence and track record with OWC’s renewable energy consultancy and engineering expertise.

Our local team boasts significant multi-disciplined expertise across marine and engineering, including marine engineers, marine surveyors, master mariners, structural engineers, subsea engineers, naval architects and marine civil engineers. Through key new hires, the local expertise has recently extended to CVA to support local and global offshore infrastructure.

ABL Germany Key Contacts

Tilo Klappenbach

Country Manager Germany

Christoph Grams

Senior Marine Surveyor, ABL Germany

Nils Falkenhorst

Country Manager OWC Germany

Today, our local office is established as the local leader in renewable energy supporting offshore wind projects from feasibility and construction to operations and decommissioning.

ABL Group Germany offshore wind track record:

• +20 Offshore Wind Farms
• +9 GW of Capacity
• +4 Wind Energy Yield Assessments for the BSH since 2020
• +5 Marine Navigational Studies & Quantitative Navigational Analyses

ABL Germany provides the company’s full technical offering to support renewables, maritime, and oil & gas sectors in Germany and the surrounding countries.

ABL Germany recent news:

• ABL to identify Navigational Risk to German North Sea Offshore Wind Sites – ABL Group (abl-group.com/abl)
• ABL completes German subsea pipeline installation project – ABL Group (abl-group.com/abl)
• Iberdrola appoints ABL Group for marine support services – ABL Group (abl-group.com/abl)
• ABL reaches key milestone on TenneT’s Sued Ost Link project – ABL Group (abl-group.com/abl)

Explore our local expertise:

The post ABL Group’s Active Month in Germany: September 2024 Roundup appeared first on ABL.

Centre Manche 1 and Centre Manche 2 are part of two offshore wind projects – Appel d’Offre 4 (AO4) and Appel d’Offre 8 (AO8) – that aim to contribute towards the French government’s ambition of allocating 1 GW of offshore wind energy per year, from 2023 onwards.

Centre Manche 1 will connect the AO4 (1,050) offshore wind farm and part of AO8 (200MW) to the 400 kV substation at Menuel through a 100 km long DC export cable. Centre Manche 2 will connect the A08 offshore wind farm to the 400 kV substation at Tourbe via a 105 km long DC cable. Both offshore substations will each have a capacity of 1.25 GW.

ABL’s operations in France will act as marine warranty surveyor (MWS) for the transportation and installation campaign for the Centre Manche 1 and 2 offshore substations, the 100 km long DC export cable, and the three 2 km long interstation links.

The platforms will be sister topsides, with an estimated weight of 13,300 tonnes each, while the jackets will weigh approximately 7,000 tons each.

ABL’s scope of work will cover the technical review and approval of all T&I engineering documentation pertaining to warranted activities, participation to HAZID/HAZOP meetings, suitability surveys of the installation vessels, onshore and offshore attendances to approve the marine operations, and issue of certificates of approval.

“Being selected for this project reflects our technical reputation in the French market, particularly for T&I work for France’s offshore wind projects, including bottom-fixed platforms and subsea cables. Further to this, our in-house team of marine and engineering consultants draws upon experience from more than 330 offshore wind projects globally.”

Hugues Delanoue, Regional Managing Director for ABL

ABL’s expertise in offshore wind extends to a through-life technical offering with services to support from initial feasibility and concept development, through to engineering, marine advisory and ports and harbours infrastructure consultancy, to marine warranty survey to support at both construction, operational, and decommissioning phases.

“We have a proud history of involvement in our country’s expanding offshore wind market, supporting our French clients in the successful delivery of the three first operational windfarms in France, and now working to realise the next three offshore wind farms that are under construction.”

Fabien Thomas, Head of MWS Services at ABL France

The company’s work will begin in the third quarter of 2024 and continue until project delivery in 2032. ABL is part of Oslo-listed consultancy group ABL Group ASA.

Discover more on ABL France’s technical service offering to support French offshore wind and other marine renewable energy projects, from engineering and development, through to transportation and installation (T&I):

The post ABL appointed to France’s Centre Manche offshore grid connections appeared first on ABL.

What does your day-to-day look like at ABL?

“As the country manager for Germany, my day-to-day is very diverse, from overseeing the team and ongoing projects, engaging with clients and colleagues, to ensuring everyone stays happy and productive. Additionally, in many cases I’m involved hands-on with the projects, utilising my experience. The only thing certain is that no two days are the same.

What inspired you to join your industry?

I’ve always been drawn to the ocean. The combination of oceanic environments and high and heavy engineering always seemed exciting to me and so I chose it as my career.

Can you tell us about something exciting you are working on right now?

We’ve recently secured some exciting contracts, and I’m particularly looking forward to getting involved and delivering marine warranty survey services for a full offshore wind farm and Navigational Risk Assessments for our clients.

What does the future look like in energy and oceans in Germany?

The next decade looks very promising for offshore wind development in Germany with the target set to 80% of electricity consumption in the country to be covered by renewable energy by 2030. To achieve this offshore wind power generation needs to grow to 30GW by 2030 from the existing 8.9 GW today.

These are exciting times for our industry but with the recent industry stagnation combined with the country’s rapid schedule of development means there are challenges for consideration along the road.

What do you enjoy most about working as part of the ABL Group team in Germany?

“I love working in an intercultural team where professionals from different backgrounds come together to form a cohesive and dynamic unit to support our clients with overcoming their challenges.”

More about Tilo

Position: Country Manager Germany

Office: Hamburg

Hobbies: Camping, Windsurfing, Crafting

Achievements: “I built my own PV system with battery storage” ?

Favourite music: The Cure / New Order

Tilo Klappenbach will be joining the ABL Group team at this year’s Wind Energy Hamburg 2024. Find out more about ABL’s services and how to book a meeting with Tilo to discuss your marine and projects:

The post Meet Tilo Klappenbach, Country Manager, ABL Germany appeared first on ABL.