The 157 meters long subsea equipment support vessel (SESV) Aker Wayfarer has been engaged in a tidal energy project for the French developer Sabella to retrieve its D10 tidal turbine from the bottom of the Fromveur Strait, off Ushant island, France.

Ocean Yeald’s vessel, on a long-term charter with AKOFS Offshore, part of Akastor, has recovered and transported the 1 MW turbine, weighing around 450 tonnes, to the Port of Brest.

Aker Wayfarer’s next job is at the Wave Hub offshore site, where James Fisher Marine Services is scheduled to restart subsea cable installation works.

The offshore works, which include the installation of 6km of cables, associated connectors, cable abrasion protection, rock bag cable stabilisation and survey, are scheduled to be completed from July 16, 2016 to August 08, 2016.

To remind, Aker Wayfarer, a sister ship of Skandi Aker, has been recently modified at Kleven’s Myklebust Verft in Gursken, Norway to install and retrieve subsea trees and modules, including subsea structures and manifolds.

The vessel has been awarded a 5-year charter plus 5-year option with Petrobras, scheduled to start in the second half of 2016 and worth USD 465 million. AKOFS Offshore is said to be in dialogue with Petrobras regarding the start-up timing of the contract and is said to expect to conclude these discussions during Q3 2016.

Subsea World News Staff; Photo: Sabella