Italian energy services giant Saipem has reached an agreement to acquire the floating wind business from French marine renewables firm Naval Energies, a subsidiary of Naval Group.
The transaction, which has no material effect on Saipem’s financial position, includes engineering know-how on floating units, intellectual property rights and around thirty resources with expertise in modelling and simulation.
Mauro Piasere, head of Saipem Offshore New Energies business unit, said: “With this acquisition, we are expanding our technology portfolio and we position Saipem in the competition for the award of the floating wind project of Groix & Belle-Île, in France, for which we will leverage on our recognised expertise in executing turnkey projects, at the service of EOLFI. The know-how we are acquiring further strengthens our position in the market of offshore renewables, specifically floating wind.”
Naval Group had announced at the beginning of February that it was looking to sell all or part of Naval Energies’ activities as it looks to exit the offshore renewable energy sector.
Jean-Yves Battesti, executive chairman of Naval Energies, said: “The combination of Saipem’s strong expertise and assets in offshore constructions and strategy in marine renewable energies with Naval Energies’ expertise in floating wind gives rise to a leading player in offshore wind. We have every confidence that this new technological center, whose teams will be located in Nantes and Brest in particular, will be able to promote this promising industry in Brittany, in the Pays de la Loire but also in France and globally.”
