The Hamburg-based Windward Offshore is a provider of offshore wind service vessels, and with a fleet of four CSOVs (Commissioning Service Operation Vessels) currently under construction at VARD shipyards.
After the company secured a senior loan facility of up to €182m at the end of last year, and the launching of Windward Athens on February 10, it expects the first vessel to be delivered in September this year.
Windward Offshore informed that it now has entered an exciting new chapter by establishing a partnership with Japan based trading and investment company Marubeni Corporation.
The new partnership was finalized with Windward Offshore raising new equity to fund future growth, and Marubeni Corporation acquiring the new shares through a wholly owned subsidiary, thereby becoming a 25.1% shareholder in the company.
Marubeni Corporation is a member of the five Japanese trading houses (“sogo shosha”) with a strong presence in the global energy sector and acting as the developer of offshore wind projects in Europe and Japan as well as various experience in the supply chain, said Windward Offshore in its statement.
Yasutomo Miyake, general manager, ship project dept. of Marubeni Corporation, said that “We are confident that Marubeni’s global network will play an important role in the company’s growth and that our engagement will contribute to the development of a more sustainable society.”
Bastian Hagebeuker, managing director of Windward Offshore, noted: “We believe that Marubeni is a perfect complement to our existing group of shareholders, and we appreciate the diverse opportunities they bring to Windward.
“With a shared vision, we are looking forward to jointly develop the company going forward and leverage the expertise of each partner. Marubeni’s expertise, network and financial strength will be invaluable as we continue to develop our portfolio and expand our footprint in the offshore wind industry.”
