Page 38: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Nov/Dec 2025)

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TECH FEATURE DESIGNING OFFSHORE FLEETS

All images courtesy Wärtsilä

Designing Ofshore Fleets that can Adapt, Endure

Volatile markets, rising costs, and tightening environmental regulation are reshaping ofshore vessel design. Jon Inge Buli, Head of Ofshore SGA at

Wärtsilä, explains how fexibility, integration, and a modular approach are helping owners build resilience into the next generation of ofshore feets.

By Jon Inge Buli, Head of Offshore SGA at Wärtsilä ncertainty has always been part of the offshore Projects approved only a few years ago have seen costs rise industry, but recent shifts in costs, invest- by around 80% compared with initial estimates. Forecasts ments, and regulations are making that uncer- by Bloomberg and Pareto Securities Equity Research for

U tainty more complex. Rising project expenses, global installed offshore wind capacity in 2035 have been tighter fnancing, and new emissions requirements are adjusted downward by about 12% in two years as new and prompting owners and designers to reconsider how they established markets reassess expectations.

plan, build, and operate the next generation of offshore These shifts have altered vessel economics. Charter construction and support vessels. rates, utilization assumptions, and fnancing models built

Rather than designing a vessel for one market or project, around rapid renewables growth are being reviewed. Even the focus is increasingly on fexibility. Ships need to oper- so, investment in offshore energy remains steady. Oil and ate effciently across sectors; maintain compliance as fuel gas projects continue in Brazil, the Middle East, and West and emissions standards evolve; and achieve longer, more Africa, while renewables developers are adapting plans in productive service lives. The sector is beginning to embed line with the changing market conditions.

adaptability into design from the outset. For shipowners, this represents both challenge and op-

Offshore wind has brought this point into sharp focus. portunity. The key question is not where the work is, but 38 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM