Bibby Offshore Moves Into Cable Installation Market, Teams Up with ESS

Bibby Offshore has purchased a power cable lay carousel from Ecosse Subsea Systems (ESS), which will enable Bibby Offshore to lay offshore wind power cables from its vessels.

The two companies have also reported that they entered into strategic alliance, joining Bibby Offshore’s subsea project management and engineering experience and ESS’s trenching expertise. The companies said they will collaborate to develop other technologies and working methods which will benefit clients by reducing risk and lowering project costs.

Bibby Offshore said its entry into the new market complements Bibby HydroMap’s offshore survey capability and Bibby Marine Services’ recent investment in a new build ‘walk to work’ Service Operation Vessel, the Bibby WaveMaster 1.

Fraser Moonie, Chief Operating Officer of Bibby Offshore said: “We are very excited by our entry into the cable lay market which strengthens our renewables offering in the North Sea. We have worked with ESS in the subsea market for more than a decade, and this new strategic alliance will help us further our offshore offering and support our diverse client base.”

Mike Wilson, Managing Director of Ecosse Subsea Systems Limited, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Bibby Offshore in the offshore wind arena. This will enable us to tackle much bigger projects and clients with the opportunity to use a genuine UK owned and operated supply chain in this sector.”