International subsea specialist Sulmara is expanding its offer with the launch of a new suite of services to reduce the risks clients face in subsea operations – and help them meet their net zero targets. 

A new Route Development business line will see industry experts from the company provide a wide range of support from the planning and design stage of projects right through to the operational phase of subsea cables and pipelines. Speciality services including desktop and feasibility studies, seabed mapping and route optimisation will allow clients to benefit from Sulmara’s experience, and preparatory works such as UXO identification and removal, boulder relocation and route clearance will help the company expand into new areas of the industry. 

As well as announcing the expansion of its services, the company has confirmed the appointments of industry veterans Perry Balls as Business Development Director and Alison Lucas Collier as Commercial Director to further enhance the Route Development offering. 

CEO Kevin McBarron said: “There is no doubt the addition of Perry and Alison adds to the significant experience we already possess. Their track records speak for themselves, and we are delighted they have chosen to join Sulmara to help ensure, together with our clients, we are able to deliver on our mission for a sustainable energy future.”  

Perry said: “While Sulmara have been able to offer many of the services that sit under the Route Development banner for several years, bringing them all together into a dedicated business line will bring huge benefits to clients as we support them to reduce their carbon footprint. By leveraging survey technology, our new class-leading vessel, our uncrewed technology and the experience of our team, we are able to offer a full-service approach for our clients’ subsea projects. 

“We know that organisations are looking for in-house services that are managed internally, processed internally and reported internally, giving them greater confidence in the results, and a simpler path to issuing a contract.” 

Sitting alongside existing offerings across uncrewed and remote technology, site characterisation and offshore support services, the new business line will complement the high-quality and efficient services Sulmara has become renowned for in recent years.  

The news follows the announcement of the company’s biggest commitment yet to the renewable energy industry after it signed a three-year deal with Atlantic Offshore to charter the multi-purpose support vessel Ocean Marlin.  

Ocean Marlin will undergo a substantial multi-million-dollar refit, including the installation of class-leading survey equipment, a subsea crane with active heave compensation, and the creation of extra bed space. 

Alison Lucas Collier said “The investment in Ocean Marlin and the announcement of this new business line is an indication of the direction Sulmara is going, with the company being the only UK-headquartered organisation offering this full range of services in-house.” 

“Offering a large vessel with a wide range of capabilities gives us the agility to deliver complex campaigns, and combining Sulmara’s equipment and technology solutions with the significant expertise of our team will ultimately reduce project risk for our clients, and help them operate in a more environmentally friendly manner.” 

Formed in 2019 and employing more than 190 people worldwide, Sulmara has grown rapidly to become an international services provider with offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia. 

An exciting start to 2024 has built on a strong Q4 in 2023, while late last year Sulmara announced it had placed an order worth $1.6 million with Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. for several of its Wave Adaptive Modular Vessels (WAM-V) USVs and opened a new office in Aberdeenshire to cope with client demand.