Enshore Subsea

In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept around the world in a tsunami of negativity, companies were drowned quickly with contracts washing away and the future outlook hazy at best. Deep Ocean, a leading subsea contracting business, fell as its work dried up but its costs remained. Like so many others, this historic organisation was forced to close and with it went jobs and skills.

But for the management within the business, this was not an acceptable way to go down. Pierre Boyde, Wayne Pullen, and William Stephenson had driven major success at Deep Ocean, each with decades of experience across different areas.

“The three of us noticed that there was a valid business model in a post Covid world given the huge amount of competence that was within the business,” William Stephenson, Commercial Director, tells Energy Focus.

“Deep Ocean was the largest offshore cable installation contractor in the UK and it was a tragedy to see so many people put out of work when it closed.”

Alongside Boyde and Pullen, Stephenson was keen on a management buyout to ensure the continuation of services for clients that needed cable-lay, trenching, and shallow water project capability.

The three secured the backing of AlGihaz Contracting, a Saudi infrastructure investment business, and launched Enshore Subsea in April 2021. With the pandemic still a problem, the entrepreneurs knew they entered the market at a challenging point, but they were confident in their own expertise.

“AlGihaz believed in what we could do and saw the potential of the team we could bring in,” remembers Stephenson. “We started on April 1 with just three people. We finished that day with 12. After nine months, we had delivered £15.5 million of revenue and we continued to grow from there. The challenges have been frequent and large, but we now have a number of successful projects behind us and we are excited about moving onwards and upwards.”

Now, the company boasts more than 80 people, a global presence, and three core service lines: Cable installation, trenching subcontracting, and subsea detection of explosive devices.  

“For a company that only started out two years ago, we have had serious expansion,” smiles Stephenson.

SENEGAL

The company’s most recent contract is a flagship and one that Stephenson hopes will position Enshore among the premier players globally. In September 2023, the government of Senegal awarded a JV contract to Enshore Subsea, alongside Herbosch-Kiere, to work on the Senegal Power Compact, a project financed by the US-based Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in partnership with local government.

The $200 million engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract sees Enshore engaged on and offshore.

“It is the first EPCI contract awarded to Enshore as the new entity, and that has taken us to the next level,” says Stephenson, adding that the contract involves two 17.5 km 220 kV links stretching from Bel Air in Dakar to Cap des Biches.

He is particularly excited about working alongside Herbosch-Kiere, part of the Eiffage Group.

“That is a big milestone as, although we have AlGihaz to support us on these major tenders, to have a JV partner like that adds major strength. The project is installation of a submarine link between two onshore power stations to help balance the grid in Dakar.”

Managing Director, Pierre Boyde adds: “We are honoured to be selected as a key partner for the Senegal Power Compact Program. This is a transformative initiative that aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing sustainable energy solutions.”

Demonstrating the company’s deep skillset and ambition for excellence will be a key priority for Stephenson and team on this project in West Africa. Showing to the rest of the global industry that Enshore Subsea delivers above and beyond is essential in flagship projects like this.

“That is what we’re excited about,” he smiles. “As a new company, you have no right to go in and ask for major EPCI contracts. Now that we have our first, we can show that we have the knowledge and capability, and we can go and find more projects where we can take full systems responsibility – we have more in tender just now.”

PLAYING GLOBALLY

Based at the Port of Blyth, in what Stephenson describes as the heart of the global trenching industry, Enshore Subsea has a range of skills at its disposal and can call on a supply chain loaded with proficiency to deliver on projects locally and globally. The larger, more complex projects is where Stephenson sees Enshore adding real value.

“We can play on the global field. We like to partner with local companies to deliver projects but our competency is project engineering, project execution, and project management. That is particularly around cable installation and shallow water applications. We have completed projects in Bahrain, Senegal, the Mediterranean, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, the UK, Greece – we have a nice spread in our relatively short life.

“We want to push the company towards being an EPCI contractor in cable laying – that will be our main business unit,” he details. “We want to target interesting, challenging projects, particularly where there is a larger EPCI element. We can’t compete with larger businesses when it comes to standard installation projects where cost is the only selective driver. We are looking for opportunities where the installation is more complicated, often involving onshore scopes, complex seabed conditions or shallow water environments. Enshore can come in as a true turnkey EPCI contractor, with or without partners, who can take full system responsibility and collaborate with onshore companies to deliver wider project scope.”

He says that the company is comfortable in standard cable laying operations and would be able to quickly and effectively delivery of projects for both energy interconnectors as well as Offshore Wind. In fact, the challenging seabed trenching for the Saint-Brieuc wind farm export cable was completed recently by Enshore in collaboration with a major cable manufacturer. The business is also a subcontractor for trenching, utilising a robust equipment portfolio to deliver for cable manufacturers or other installation contractors. At the same time, the company is busy completing fibre optic installations around Europe, but large contracts for global partners is the goal.

“We add value in the niche, one-off projects.”

PATENTED TECH

An exciting development that will propel Enshore Subsea to the front of the industry is its newly patented technology capable of detecting seabed unexploded ordinance (UXO). Critical in the offshore cable laying sector, this tech can protect people and equipment from serious harm.

“We have a patented seabed frame that sits on the ocean floor, performing identification by scanning and dredging in areas of high current. Where ROVs might have significant downtime, we have much more workability in harsh subsea environments. We want to get this into the UK, US and European offshore wind markets,” declares Stephenson.

Some reports suggest that there could be as much as 1.3 million tonnes of UXO laying just below the North Sea seabed as a result of several conflicts over the years. For those trenching and laying cables, this is a significant risk and appropriate action must be taken to mitigate.

Last year, in Bahrain on the Al Hawar project, Enshore Subsea was busy identifying and removing UXO from the cable corridor alongside a team of partners. The area was safely and effectively cleared and the wider project was completed successfully.

Stephenson – a former product and sales manager across the subsea sector, and Commercial Director at a marine logistics firm – says that the company is able to offer such an extensive range of services because of its location in the North East of England. Here, he says, the supply chain is strong, innovation is rife, and Enshore is always looking to form lasting partnerships.

“Offshore, we need support from marine services for local projects – that’s local vessels for pull in, construction, and survey activities. They must be experienced and used to European delivery, but capable in remote regions around the world. Onshore, we have a supply chain where we support our trenchers from Blyth. We look for engineering and technical expertise to go to our regional sites for delivery. We are always looking for onshore civils, labour, electrical, equipment and other contractors.

“At the Port of Blyth, many of our global competition players are present – it is the subsea dredging capital of the world. We can take advantage of engineering, supply chain, and technical developments locally before going to operate on global projects.”

MAJOR SUCCESS

To date, Stephenson is pleased with progress in the business. Three financial years have passed since Enshore Subsea was launched, and results were positive. The next stage in the ambitious growth plan is for the company to successfully deliver in Senegal and demonstrate the skills at its disposal.

“The fact that we have the team that is trusted to deliver a $200 million EPCI contract is a major success. This project is evidence that we have the right to play in that field and people should be talking to us about their complex project requirements,” says the Commercial Director.

“The main aim when we started the business, after Deep Ocean closed with many employees here in the North East, was to create employment and keep a home here. We want local capability and there is a massive subsea industry here.”

Ultimately, this is a business of people. The ideas, invention, engineering, and problem solving present within Enshore Subsea will allow for industrial development. Communications, energy, technology, and much more will continue to grow but only if cables can provide reliable connections. This complex but critical sector requires deep knowledge to overcome big challenges. Enshore has expertise that is often unmatched in the global market.

“I am proud that we can sit here today with a fresh, mixed team – some that are from the Deep Ocean days who have been working on trenchers for decades, some that came in as offshore apprenticeships, those that have worked offshore but are now onshore ensuring quality execution, and those that have come from other industries and have really grown with us – we have an amazing team that is highly capable and able to deliver,” concludes Stephenson.

As more contracts are awarded, Enshore will bring on more people, nurturing the skills of the future. This will ensure the brand is the trusted partner now and for the foreseeable.