(Credit: SBM Offshore)
STS joint venture, formed by SBM Offshore and Technip Energies, and TotalEnergies EP Suriname have signed an agreement with French company Beyond the Sea to evaluate wind-assisted kite traction towing for the GranMorgu floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel offshore Suriname.
The partners will develop, install, test and operate a Wind Assisted Towing System (WATS) using Beyond the Sea’s SeaKite 2400 technology during the towing of the GranMorgu FPSO from its construction yard in China to its operating location offshore Suriname.
The project aims to reduce towing time and fuel consumption while validating kite-assisted propulsion for large offshore vessels.
The work will follow a phased research and development program covering technology development and qualification, operational readiness, cost assessment and an onshore testing program before the system is integrated onto the FPSO in China. Progress to subsequent phases will depend on meeting predefined technical and safety criteria.
The partners also aim to validate the kite launch and recovery system and collect operational data to optimize future system sizing through digital modelling.
According to the companies, the initiative represents a first-of-its-kind application of kite-assisted towing for an FPSO.
“Working together with TotalEnergies and Beyond the Sea, we are evaluating how wind-assisted propulsion can contribute to lower-carbon and more energy-efficient offshore logistics for the GranMorgu project, while also supporting the development of innovative maritime solutions with broader decarbonization potential. Decarbonization is one of our strategic priorities and we are very much looking forward to assessing new future opportunities in this field,” said Laurent Le Touze, Group Technology and Product Development Director at SBM Offshore.
“Improving energy efficiency remains a constant driver in our developments. Beyond the Sea offers a solution that fully aligns with this objective, and we are proud to support the challenge of scaling up the Seakite system during the towing phase of the GranMorgu Project. We believe this initiative will demonstrate a significant step forward, paving the way for innovative wind-assisted propulsion solutions in maritime transport,” added Frédéric Beys, TotalEnergies GranMorgu Project Director.
