Dutch contractor Van Oord has bought the offshore wind activities of German engineer Bilfinger.
The agreement covers the acquisition of assets and employees related to the offshore wind activities of Bilfinger Marine & Offshore Systems, a company that is active in the engineering, construction and installation of foundations for offshore wind parks and harbours.
Van Oord say the acquisition will give a "strategic boost" to its Offshore Wind Projects business unit.
The deal will be finalised after it has been approved by the Bundeskartellamt, Germany’s competition authority.
Van Oord will also invest in the modification of its installation vessel Aeolus (pictured). The lifting capacity of the crane will be increased from 900 to 1,600 tonnes to enable it to deal with the increasingly large foundations and turbines being specified for wind farms.
Pieter van Oord, the company’s chief executive, said: "Both investments are part of our strategy to bolster our position on the northwestern European market for offshore wind projects. Acquiring Bilfinger’s offshore wind activities will enable us to focus more on the German market."
Image: The Aeolus (Van Oord)
