HRH Princess Astrid is leading a Belgian Economic Mission to Japan. DEME Offshore and Penta-Ocean Construction established their joint venture company Japan Offshore Marine (JOM) in 2021 to enable both companies to play a leading role in the long-term development of Japan’s offshore wind market and the energy transition. The company will upgrade and take possession of the M.V. Sea Challenger and reflag the vessel to the Japanese flag.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Luc Vandenbulcke, CEO of DEME, Hugo Bouvy, Managing Director DEME Offshore, President and CEO of Penta-Ocean Construction, Takuzo Shimizu, and JOM’s CEO, Akihiko Togo.
Extensive upgrade of M.V. Sea Challenger
DEME’s M.V. Sea Challenger has gained a stellar reputation in the turbine installation market and is currently undergoing an extensive upgrade, preparing it for offshore wind farm projects in Japan. A crucial step to make the vessel future-proof is increasing the crane’s lifting capacity from 900 tonnes to 1,600 tonnes. Additionally, the vessel will have a wider beam and longer legs, enabling it to handle the next generation of mega wind turbines. The vessel will also be reflagged to the Japanese flag.
