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Combifloat Group has acquired Australian Barge Hire (ABH), strengthening its position in the modular jack up and marine access market and extending its footprint across Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region.
The deal brings together Combifloat’s modular jack up technology and global engineering capacity with ABH’s established fleet and nationwide presence in Australia. The companies said the transaction will allow the Group to offer larger, construction sized floating and jack up barges to marine contractors, geotechnical operators and offshore developers operating in nearshore and coastal waters.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Expanding Capacity in a Tight Offshore Market
ABH, founded in 2006, has built a reputation over the past two decades as a leading provider of sectional, road transportable jack up barges in Australia. Its platforms are widely used for marine construction, geotechnical drilling and asset maintenance in ports, rivers, estuaries and nearshore environments.
From 2026, Combifloat designed C5 and C7 platforms will be introduced to the Australian market. These units are larger and capable of supporting cranes, piling rigs and dredging equipment, enabling contractors to execute heavier lift and more complex offshore construction campaigns.
ABH will also serve as a regional sales and service representative for selected Combifloat Group capabilities, including newbuild solutions and services linked to Oceanteam Solutions, which the Group acquired in 2023 to enter the subsea cable logistics segment.
The integration provides Australian contractors with access to a broader modular fleet at a time when offshore wind, subsea cable installation and coastal infrastructure upgrades are driving demand for stable, rapidly deployable work platforms.
Portfolio Strategy Across Key Regions
The acquisition forms part of Combifloat Group’s strategy to build a portfolio of specialized marine equipment businesses across key offshore and marine construction markets.
While Combifloat remains the Group’s flagship brand in modular jack up systems, it has expanded into adjacent sectors and geographies through targeted acquisitions and joint ventures.
In 2023, the Group entered the subsea cable logistics market through the acquisition of Oceanteam Solutions, strengthening its exposure to offshore renewables and subsea oil and gas. In 2025, it launched Poseidon Jack Up, a Jones Act compliant joint venture with Poseidon Barge aimed at delivering modular jack up solutions tailored to United States and Canadian contractors.
With the addition of ABH, the Group now secures a direct operational platform in Australia, a market characterized by strict regulatory requirements and dispersed coastal project sites that often favor modular, transportable equipment over fixed marine assets.
Leadership Signals Continuity
Ben Slater, who has accepted the role of managing director and shareholder of ABH as part of the transaction, said the company would continue operating as a marine hire business while expanding its technical scope.
He stated that existing geotechnical clients would continue to be served by the current fleet, while marine contractors would gain access to larger modular floating and jack up barges for nearshore and offshore works.
Jaap Jan Pietersen, chief executive of Combifloat Group, said the acquisition strengthens the Group’s ability to serve global markets with modular marine equipment and positions ABH as a growth platform within its jack up portfolio.
For marine contractors, port operators and offshore developers, the deal signals further consolidation in a niche but strategically important segment of the marine equipment market, where access to compliant, transportable jack up systems can determine project timelines and cost control.
