Insights and News

As our recent blog series has shown, scaling offshore energy depends on integration across every stage of delivery, from reliable moorings and precise seabed intelligence to adaptable engineering design. Now, as the offshore wind industry races toward gigawatt-scale developments, offshore wind foundations have become the next frontier for efficiency and innovation.

The offshore energy market is entering a new era of demand and complexity. Floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) activity is surging across South America, Africa and Asia, with schedules tightening and vessel availability remaining a critical constraint. According to Rystad Energy, over $70 billion in FPSO capex is forecast over the next decade – around 85% of it concentrated in these three regions. As investment ramps up and timelines compress, every day offshore counts.

The offshore energy sector is evolving rapidly. Both oil and gas fields and offshore wind farms are under pressure to deliver reliable energy while keeping projects affordable. The design choices engineers make today will determine whether these projects remain adaptable, resilient and ready to meet future challenges or whether they become locked into costly, rigid solutions that limit flexibility for decades.

Advanced geospatial intelligence gives offshore teams a clear view of subsurface conditions, enabling proactive planning, cost control and more predictable project delivery.

When planning a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) project, the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study is where strategy meets precision. For mooring engineers and project managers, this phase sets the foundation for safe, efficient, and cost-effective mooring solutions. 

Offshore decommissioning is one of the most complex and costly challenges facing the oil and gas industry today. Over the next 20 years, global spending is projected to reach $200 billion on more than 2,800 fixed platforms.

Most marine infrastructure has a prescribed shelf life. But in practice, it’s often expected to remain in service well beyond it. Across offshore energy, platforms, moorings and subsea cables are operating well past their intended lifespans. Yet many operators still rely on outdated, time-based inspection regimes that miss early warning signs - leaving them vulnerable to unplanned outages and costly failures.

Offshore construction is the work that brings an offshore energy project to life. It’s a chain of interdependent phases: positioning, construction support, and foundation or mooring system installation. Each stage brings its own challenges. While design work may be finalised early, offshore success depends on how well those plans adapt to real-world conditions.

Every offshore project begins with one critical step: understanding what lies beneath the seabed. But when decisions are based on incomplete or low-resolution data, the consequences can be costly. While construction planning and foundation procurement are often prioritised, early marine surveying is too often scoped as an afterthought.

Precision offshore isn’t optional - it’s essential. In environments where every millimetre counts, Dimensional Control (DC) surveys are a critical safeguard against costly mistakes. Yet, they’re still too often seen as a discretionary step rather than a core part of project planning. It’s time to change that perception. 

Global offshore wind capacity has now surpassed 83 GW, with landmark projects pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in offshore wind construction. Acteon helps developers achieve this through integrated offshore wind services that reduce risk, cut costs and keep construction moving smoothly.

As offshore renewables expand into deeper waters and tougher seabed conditions, the installation of foundation piles faces increasing uncertainty. Encountering hard layers, boulders or unexpected resistance can halt progress, inflate costs, and delay schedules.