One of the world’s biggest names in EPC contracting, Bechtel, has joined forces with marine engineering firm, Subsea 7, to establish a contracting company capable of winning major offshore wind farm construction contracts and associated electricity transmission projects.
Both have been trying to gain a stronger foothold in the European offshore wind market and will now seek to offer developers an "end to end" service.
"The combined expertise and financial stability of two world-class organisations will provide real value to potential utilities and developers. They can trust us to build complex offshore wind and transmission projects in a safe and cost-effective way," said Subsea 7's senior vice president for renewable energy, Jan Willem van der Graaf.
Bechtel’s project experience includes construction of oil pipelines, railway lines, motorways, mines and gas refineries. Its 2011 group revenue totalled $32.9bn (€25.2bn). Its history in the UK dates back 60 years, but thus far its renewable energy business line – part of its global power division - has not been active in the offshore wind market. The company’s oil, gas and chemical division has had offshore experience in Asia.
London-based Subsea 7 is a smaller company, reporting 2011 revenues of £5.5bn (€6.8bn). Its primary clients are oil and gas companies and it launched a renewable energy division last year. It has an existing joint venture with Seaway Heavy Lifting, a supplier of vessels to offshore wind developers, and is part of an "offshore wind alliance" whose other members include SSE, Siemens, Atkins, and Bifab.
