Infrastrata has signed of a letter of intent with Triumph Subsea Services to build a £360m offshore wind farm development vessel.
The letter “initially contemplates” the fabrication of one vessel at the infrastructure company’s Harland & Wolff yard in Belfast, with the option for a second ship.
InfraStrata said the next steps towards agreeing a binding contract will involve analysis of the detailed design packages, agreement of timelines and milestones from fabrication to delivery and placing of the necessary financing structures by Triumph and its partners with H&W.
Both parties intend on executing a contract to build the vessels by the end of June 2021.
Once contracted, each vessel would be expected to generate revenues for the yard of between £340m and £360m over the 24-30 month period of fabrication, followed by additional revenues if further through-life support contracts are secured.
Each vessel will have a length of 200 metres and a beam of 35 metres.
The WDVs, when fabricated and delivered, will incorporate the latest in advanced marine technology, robotics, safety systems as well as autonomous systems, said Infrastrata.
The vessels will come with diesel-electric hybrid engines that will eventually transition into hydrogen fuel cells.
The WDVs will be designed as multi-purpose vessels, suitable for deployment for fixed and floating wind farm installations as well as capable of subsea cable laying and providing marine services for offshore carbon capture and green hydrogen projects.
The WDVs are expected to be fabricated with local content from a UK supply chain and will be principally utilised for projects in all nations within the UK, said Infratrata.
Infrastrata chief executive John Wood said: “This LoI is one of many potential projects that we are working on and is in line with our strategy to make the Harland & Wolff Group a leading shipbuilder and fabrication company in the UK.
“As previously indicated, fabrication will become a huge element of our business moving forward and, by utilising both our Belfast and Appledore capacities symbiotically, we are able to provide an attractive works schedule to our clients.
“Should this project proceed to contract, it will provide a sound base for Harland & Wolff to demonstrate its capacity and capability to deliver cutting-edge vessels, whilst retaining sufficient spare capacity for other projects across both yards.”