“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.

The Korsnäs offshore wind farm is located on the west coast of Finland, in the Baltic Sea. The wind farm is a joint project between Vattenfall and Metsähallitus. It has a planned maximum capacity of 2.5 GW and an annual production of 7 TWh – enough capacity to power 350,000 electrically-heated detached houses by renewable energy.  

ABL’s scope of work includes a comprehensive navigational risk assessment, including quantitative risk modelling, stakeholder engagement and recommendations for risk mitigation measures. The findings will also include consideration of the risk effects of sea ice in the vicinity of the development site during the winter season. 

The contract has been awarded to ABL’s operations based in Hamburg, Germany, and will be carried out by the company’s global Ports and Harbours consultancy team, with specialist support from sister company OWC.

“We are pleased to provide our expertise in navigational risk analysis to support this pivotal step in Finland’s renewable energy development. This follows many years of successful collaboration by our team on similar work for Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency – BSH – to assess shipping risks from offshore wind sites across the North Sea. This project win is therefore, a testament to our established technical reputation in this field.”

Tilo Klappenbach, ABL’s Country Manager to Germany

ABL’s global Ports and Harbours consultancy includes a full-lifecycle service offering for maritime infrastructure projects, from supporting the financing of assets with engineering and technical due diligence, to safety, regulatory and environmental compliance support, operational asset integrity management, fixed object damage assessment, marine casualty management and expert witness support. The team includes maritime and multi-disciplinary engineering expertise and has a track-record of working across assets in more than 20 countries in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

ABL is part of Oslo-listed consultancy group ABL Group ASA.

Discover our comprehensive energy, marine, engineering and consultancy services to support the safe and sustainable development of offshore wind in the North and Baltic Seas:

The post ABL to assess navigational risk for Finland’s first open-sea offshore wind farm 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.

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.

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

“My daily responsibilities at ABL are diverse and challenging, encompassing various aspects of project management.

This includes diving into specific engineering details for comment and review, as well as liaising with clients and coordinating attendances”

What inspired you to join your industry?

Since my bachelor’s degree in Marine and Ocean Engineering, I’ve been passionate about studying renewable energy. Both my bachelor’s and master’s theses were dedicated to offshore wind. Given this background, working for a company that focuses primarily on renewables in Germany is a perfect match for me.

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

Right now, I’m deeply involved in two major projects in the German North Sea that bring electricity from offshore wind farms to the mainland using high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology. Each project can transmit 900 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, enough to power around 1 million homes. They are crucial for integrating offshore wind energy into Germany’s power grid and supporting the country’s shift towards sustainable energy.

These projects talk by themselves in terms of purpose and fulfilment. They are incredibly exciting because of their significant impact towards energy transition. As part of MWS, we are involved in several key aspects of the projects, which gives us a broad and multidisciplinary perspective on how they come together.

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

With numerous offshore wind farms currently being developed, Germany is poised for a smooth transition to a sustainable energy matrix over the next decade. This shift will create ample job opportunities in the sector while contributing to a more sustainable future, not only for Germany but for the world.

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

I really enjoy the light and flexible work environment that allows for personal development and growth. Additionally, I value the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from around the globe, gaining insights into how things are done in different parts of the world.

More about Luiz

Position: Naval Architect – Offshore

Office: Hamburg, Germany

Hobbies: Football, Exercise and Fitness, Cooking & Travelling

Favourite Book: The Shawshank Redemption, Harry Potter series

Favourite Song: Viva La Vida – Coldplay ?

On the 24th to 27th of this month, ABL will be exhibiting at Wind Energy Hamburg 2024 . Our local team of experts will be on stand to discuss how we can support your marine and energy projects from concept through operations. Find out more about our delegation and our presence at the event:

The post Meet Luiz Bauzer, Offshore Naval Architect, ABL Germany appeared first on ABL.

The Inclusive Leadership Programme is the result of a six-month scoping and consultation project involving 60 engineering industry experts from organisations across the UK. They contributed valuable insights to help the Academy develop a framework to deliver a range of interventions to enhance inclusion in engineering.

The Inclusive Leadership Programme is an exciting opportunity for participating organisations to lead the engineering profession towards a more inclusive future. The 12 businesses chosen for the pilot have each assembled a multidisciplinary team of four individuals: three who are early-, mid-, and senior-career leaders, along with a Human Resources professional.

Over the next 18 months, team members will have access to knowledge and guidance on inclusive leadership including through in-depth inclusive leadership training; reciprocal mentoring; sponsorship; coaching and peer-to-peer workshops. The teams will apply their learning by creating and implementing an inclusion project focused on increasing inclusivity within their team, products or services.

The participating companies are:

• ABL
• AB Dynamics
• British Pipeline Agency
• Costain
• Evolito
• ITP Aero UK
• Mott Macdonald
• National Grid ESO
• Rolls-Royce SMR
• Thales
• The Manufacturing Technology Centre
• Zurich Engineering

Joanna Whiteman, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at the Royal Academy of Engineering, says: “To truly move the dial on inclusion we need to be bold in our exploration of what works. We are keen to embrace opportunities to mix new and well-established interventions in pursuit of learning from successes and challenges which arise.

“Aligned with our strategic aims of fostering talent and diversity, this initiative holds great promise. We look forward to scaling the valuable lessons learned from the Inclusive Leadership pilot, extending its impact to reach a multitude of businesses seeking to build inclusive workforces.”

Read the full article by the Royal Academy of Engineering here.

The post ABL to participate in Royal Academy of Engineering pilot programme to support inclusive leadership appeared first on ABL.

The day began with an introduction to ABL from Shai Tzucker, Managing Director – Energy Services, Europe and Africa. After which, the students were asked to discuss: ‘Why Engineering and what type of Engineering?’, garnering some passionate responses from both the students and the ABL engineers alike.

This was followed by presentations from:

• Dr Ir Sritama Sarkar, Principal Subsea and Pipeline Engineer on Subsea Engineering
• Mr Oliver Neill, Principal Naval Architect on Heavy Lift and Transportation of Structures
• Dr Aureliano Schirripa, Energy Technical Director on Risks in Offshore Operations
• Mr Kamrul Islam, Associate Master Mariner on Offshore Works from Master Mariner Perspective

Further presentations were heard from:

• Cindy Rosensteel, Consultant Electrical Engineer at OWC, who spoke on various Renewables technologies and the technical and social aspects of working at ABL Group; and
• Dr R.V. Ahilan, Chief Energy Transition Officer for ABL Group, who presented on Energy Transition Topics, to prepare prospective future Engineers who will be responsible for a ‘Greener Planet’

The day concluded with a working lunch session, during which Kate Kotiou, Group HR Learning and Development Manager, spoke about the training and development schemes in ABL Group, and was joined by Calum Murdoch, a 2^nd Year on our Engineer Development Programme, who talked about university life and his transition into working life at ABL.

The students also had the opportunity to tour the office and speak to ABL’s pool of engineers, hard at work.

Our thanks to the students of Wallington County Grammar School (WCGS) for their engagement and enthusiasm throughout the workshop – and to our engineers for their brilliant presentations.

Want to know more about our Engineer Development Programme?

The post ABL Hosts Engineering Workshop for Students appeared first on ABL.

• How will new offshore wind players be assured access to port infrastructures within their development timeframes?
• What upgrades or new port developments and associated capital will be required to meet near-term and long-term targets across all industries and who will fund these expansions?
• How will existing port users be guaranteed current and expanded access, competing against renewables projects centred around the Australian Government’s commitment to net zero by 2050?

Fixed-bottom offshore wind projects will require significant deep-water berthage and large marshalling areas within close proximity to the wind farms under development. Floating wind project requirements will be even greater, essentially transforming port infrastructures into serial manufacturing facilities, where quayside lifting and channel access requirements are even more extensive at an unprecedented scale. Australia’s desire to promote local content, where associated fabrication is performed locally wherever possible, will likely further add to port demands. Finally, the uncertain nature of early project development creates one of the largest variables at a time when industry infrastructure investments are essential.

Port demand will be unprecedented with:

• Competition against other renewable technologies (i.e. large-scale onshore Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Plants, etc) adding their own requirements during construction and export during operations
• A significant increase in offshore Oil & Gas decommissioning activities on both East and West coasts
• A mini-boom in offshore Oil & Gas CAPEX in response to global insecurity
• An increase in onshore renewable project development.

Managing current and emerging industry expectations and aligning industry and infrastructure development with offshore wind project targets, will be a key challenge in meeting Australia’s renewable targets while growing the country’s industrial capabilities.

At ABL, and sister company OWC, our port development services have been used to assist port authorities and engineering consultancies with projects ranging from concept and feasibility, through to front-end engineering and design (FEED) and detailed design stages. These projects have included marine studies for terminal modifications, port expansions and greenfield port development. Our services include:

• Port Development
• Port Capacity and Utilisation Studies (Operational Simulation)
• Civil Engineering Consultancy Services
• Marine Risk
• Vessel Manoeuvring Simulations
• Dynamic Mooring Analysis
• Technical Due Diligence
• Business Interruption
• Geotechnical Services
• Metocean and Coastal Engineering

See more on Australia’s Offshore Wind journey, and the key factors involved, in a series of blogs from our expert consultants.

Adam Solomons

Australian East Coast Manager

Meet Adam at Australia Wind Energy 2023 from 25-26 July in Melbourne. Book a meeting now:

The post Australian Port Infrastructure – Existing Businesses, Competing Demands, and Project Pipeline Certainty appeared first on ABL.