October 22nd 2024, London: Venterra Group Plc, the offshore wind services
business, today announces the acquisition of Oceanscan Holdings Limited, a leading
group of companies that provide subsea and non-destructive test equipment,
geotechnical services and specialist personnel to the offshore energy market.
Oceanscan is highly complementary to Venterra’s service lines, particularly within its
Geoscience and Survey teams, which are underpinned by the expertise of its
companies: Ordtek, Partrac and Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions (GDG). The addition
and integration of Oceanscan into the Group places Venterra at the cutting edge of
offshore subsea equipment and offshore sensing technology. Oceanscan’s
capabilities, asset base, and technical knowledge will help to reinforce Venterra’s
position as providing one of the most comprehensive survey offerings in the market.
Founded in 1989 by Ken Hunter, Oceanscan is headquartered in Aberdeen with
overseas subsidiaries in Houston and Singapore. Oceanscan Holdings Limited has
four UK subsidiaries:
● Oceanscan Limited from its Aberdeen office hires and calibrates hydrographic
survey and ROV sensors and non-destructive test equipment. Operating from its
Lowestoft office, the company also supplies highly skilled personnel to Tier 1
offshore wind contractors, offering vital expertise in geophysical and cable route
surveys as well as in pre-construction activities for the renewables sector.
● Hydrographic Personnel Resources (UK) Limited based in Inverurie delivers
specialist personnel for offshore renewable energy projects with a focus on
supporting construction and inspection campaigns.
● Geoforce Technical Services in Suffolk provides cone penetration testing services
for measuring in-situ soil conditions for offshore windfarm developments.
● Sercal Non-Destructive Test Equipment near Birmingham is a UKAS accredited
calibration business providing repair, sales and calibration services to the rail and
power generation industries.
Venterra’s acquisition of Oceanscan has been underpinned by a fifth successful
equity raise, including General Atlantic’s BeyondNetZero and First Reserve’s further
equity investment of £30m, as well as through securing access to £110m of bank
facilities from HSBC, NatWest, Rabobank and Citibank to facilitate future growth.
Ed Daniels, CEO of Venterra Group, said: “Oceanscan’s extensive fleet of highquality
sensing equipment and in-depth geotechnical experience supports our aim of
providing the most technologically advanced and complete set of development
services and solutions to the offshore wind industry. We’re looking forward to
welcoming Oceanscan into our team and delivering enhanced value to our clients.”
Derek Donaldson, CEO of Oceanscan, said: “Joining Venterra gives us a bigger
platform from which to grow faster and across an even wider range of offshore wind
markets. Combining our specialist equipment and geotechnical experience with the
expertise that exists within Venterra means we will be able to offer an even more
robust set of survey and geosciences services with greater international reach.”
Ken Hunter, Founder and Managing Director of Oceanscan, added:
“Oceanscan’s history and core values of safety, innovation and continuous
improvement align fully with Venterra. I am proud of the journey that we’ve taken,
and I look forward to watching the company’s future get even brighter under the
leadership of Derek and the Venterra team.”
Venterra was formed to create a global services champion supporting the offshore
wind industry’s rapid expansion and leading role in the energy transition. It is building
a service offering across the wind farm lifecycle comprising Engineer, Build and
Support services and solutions through a combination of acquisition and organic
growth.
Venterra Group Plc was formed in 2021 as a dedicated offshore wind services
platform, supporting the industry’s rapid expansion and leading role in the clean
energy transition. Comprised of highly technical service providers with expertise and
experience across the planning, build and support phases of the offshore wind farm
lifecycle, Venterra Group and its 700+ global workforce is providing services to
developers and installation contractors that reduce project risk, time and cost. For
further information please visit www.venterra-group.com.
Venterra announces acquisition of Oceanscan | Venterra Group plc
