DEME is to sell its 30% shareholding in the offshore wind terminal at the Port of Ostend, to the port.
The decision follows the planned sale of PMV’s stake in the Renewable Energy Base Ostend (REBO) terminal to the Port of Ostend.
Port of Ostend CEO Dirk Declerck said: “The terminal has many assets, such as its exclusive location, the presence of heavy load quays and a roll on roll off pontoon with a carrying capacity of 650 tonnes.
“Exploiting these assets to the fullest in combination with a broadening of the activity radius will contribute to the Blue Economy developments being able to attach themselves further to the social and economic fabric of the Ostend region.
“Currently, more than 500 people are permanently employed in the offshore wind business in the port of Oostende. The port authority explicitly thanks PMV, DEME and Artes-Group NV for the constructive role they have played.”
Two DEME subsidiaries, Blue Energy DEME Offshore, each hold a 15% stake in REBO.
In 2010, the Port of Ostend raised external capital for transforming the port into an offshore wind logistics hub in the Southern North Sea.
DEME, together with PMV and Artes-Group, established REBO for this purpose, which functions as a heavy-load quay, specialising in the storage, pre-assembly and shipping of wind turbine components.
Since then, REBO has operated as a logistics developer, investing in and renting out infrastructure, including the heavy-load quay, quay walls and office buildings etc on Port of Ostend sites.
DEME stated: “After a risky start-up phase and a high need for capital and expertise, the Port of Ostend now wishes to focus on expanding operations at this terminal.
“It is for this reason that the Port Authority proposed the discussions on the redistribution of shareholding. The Port of Ostend is in the process of acquiring the shares of all other shareholders.”