DEME has sent off its DP2 jack-up vessel Goliath to COSCO’s shipyard near Shanghai, where the vessel will undergo some last modifications before embarking on the installation of offshore wind farms off the eastern coast of China.
Goliath has been loaded aboard COSCO’s semi-submersible heavy lift vessel Kang Sheng Kou in the port of Vlissingen and will be deployed for the first offshore wind projects in China that the joint venture between DEME and COSCO Shipping will undertake.
Last week, the two companies officially inaugurated the joint venture office in Guangzhou in China, following the signing of the agreement in October 2016 .
The development of offshore wind energy is in line with the Chinese climate vision and strategy for the development of renewable energy, which are incorporated in the 13 th five-year plan issued by China’s central government for social and economic development. China targets a significant increase in the installed capacity of offshore wind energy by 2020, DEME pointed out.
Alain Bernard , Director and CEO DEME Group, said: “With our extensive know-how in developing, building and maintaining offshore wind farms, DEME can support COSCO Shipping’s offshore wind ambitions to become a significant player in this market segment. As a pioneering company in offshore renewable energy, this is an excellent opportunity for export of DEME’s experience gained on projects in Europe and our home market in Belgium.”