DONG Energy and Siemens Wind Power are finally close to selling their joint venture shipping line A2Sea after years of hawking the wind turbine installation specialist.
Danish newspaper Berlingske reports a sale is now close for the line described by the daily as an “unwanted child”. A series of bids have been lodged for the line with DONG and Siemens in the process of picking a winner.
Berlingske lists European owners Vroon, Fred Olsen, MPI Offshore as possible buyers as well as China’s ZPMC with a figure thought to be in the region of $200m to $250m.
A2Sea was founded in 2000, with DONG buying it in 2009 and Siemens taking a 49% stake the following year.
A2Sea’s fleet of three vessels has not kept up with the supersizing of wind turbines, Berlingske reports. When DONG bought the line eight years ago the average turbine was around 140 m tall, nowadays they soar 220 m.
Vroon and MPI are basically one and the same company.