Boskalis closes acquisition of VolkerWessels offshore wind energy activities

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has concluded the acquisition of offshore-related activities from VolkerWessels. The transaction strengthens Boskalis' position in the attractive, growing offshore wind energy market, Boskalis said Friday in a press release.

The acquired activities consist of VBMS, Stemat and VSI (Volker Stevin International). VBMS is the European market leader in the field of offshore cable installation with a strong market position and well-filled order book. Boskalis already held 50% of the shares in VBMS and has acquired the remaining 50% through this transaction. Stemat has a global offering of specialized floating equipment and a diverse fleet that includes a cable-laying vessel and multi-purpose vessels. VSI is specialized in the construction of offshore foundations and maritime constructions. Late 2014 and mid-2015, Boskalis and VSI in joint venture acquired two large offshore wind farm projects, Wikinger and Veja Mate respectively. As a result of this transaction Boskalis will execute these projects on a 100% basis.

The activities will be consolidated as of the third quarter this year.

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors in the maritime, coastal and delta regions. The services include the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways, land reclamation, coastal defense and riverbank protection. Boskalis offers a wide variety of marine services and contracting for the oil and gas sector and offshore wind industry as well as salvage solutions (SMIT Salvage). Furthermore, Boskalis has a number of strategic partnerships in harbour towage and terminal services (KOTUG SMIT Towage, Keppel Smit Towage, Saam Smit Towage and Smit Lamnalco). With a versatile fleet of 1,000 units Boskalis operates in around 75 countries across six continents. Boskalis has over 8,200 employees, excluding its share in partnerships.