SBM Offshore, Technip Energies launch floating wind JV

Dutch company SBM Offshore NV (AMS:SBMO) and France's Technip Energies NV (EPA:TE) have formally set up their floating offshore wind joint venture (JV), the two said today.

The companies announced plans to create an equally owned joint venture called Ekwil in March. Based in Paris and with a core team of 40 experts, the new business will offer "series production" floating offshore wind platforms. It brings together Technip Energies’ semi-submersible INO technology and SBM Offshore’s tension leg platform Float4Wind.

“By bringing together two world leading players, Ekwil will accelerate the deployment of industrial solutions for the nascent floating offshore wind market,” said Technip Energies CEO Arnaud Pieton.

According to SBM Offshore CEO Oivind Tangen, it is just a matter of time for market potential in floating offshore wind power to materialise.

Meanwhile, Technip Energies on Thursday said that along with partners it has been selected for the PAREF research and development (R&D) project, which is funded by the French state and will provide the anchoring system for the NextFloat project, a 6-MW prototype that will feature X1 Wind's floating wind technology.

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