Subsea services specialist DeepOcean has landed a four-year framework agreement with European energy giant Vattenfall, covering subsea cable operations and maintenance (O&M) across multiple offshore wind farms in Europe.
The agreements span Vattenfall’s operational assets in the UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden. It’s a significant move aimed at strengthening the ongoing maintenance of critical subsea infrastructure, ensuring minimal disruption to power generation from offshore wind sources.
The scope of work is broad and technical, reflecting the increasing complexity of maintaining subsea assets in dynamic offshore environments. The agreement includes engineering, project management, pre- and post-installation surveys, trenching, transportation, cable installation and jointing, termination and testing, as well as recovery of damaged cables. Each element is critical in keeping offshore wind farms functional, especially when unplanned maintenance is needed on short notice.
Øyvind Mikaelsen, CEO of DeepOcean, acknowledged the importance of the partnership. “We welcome the opportunity to support Vattenfall’s generation of renewable energy through this framework agreement. We have over 25 years’ experience in subsea installation and Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) work,” he said.
The agreements require tight response times, which DeepOcean is set to meet using its engineering teams in Norway and the UK. Their personnel will handle call-off orders under the framework structure, focusing on Vattenfall’s operational, rather than development-phase, assets.
This is not Vattenfall’s first experience working with seasoned offshore contractors, but the collaboration with DeepOcean comes with a focus on technical flexibility and quick mobilization. The first call-off under the agreement has already been executed. For this, DeepOcean deployed the vessel Olympic Ares, retrofitted with specialized cable laying gear and a jet trencher. The vessel will remain in use for future offshore renewable energy assignments.
Pavlo Malyshenko, Vattenfall’s Head of Generation, emphasized the strategic nature of the deal. “We are excited to enter this collaboration with DeepOcean, an experienced and versatile provider of subsea services,” he said. “This partnership aligns with our mission to deliver reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions while never compromising our high health and safety standards.”
The framework agreement reflects a broader trend in offshore wind, where long-term, integrated O&M services are becoming essential to the reliable functioning of aging assets across Europe’s wind sector.
