IHC IQIP: Pioneering Offshore Installation Solutions
Uniting the market
Founded in 2015, IHC IQIP is a globally operating market-leader of Dutch origin that supplies innovative equipment and smart solutions for foundation, installation and decommissioning within the oil and gas, offshore wind and coastal and civil markets. The business was formed through the amalgamation of four well-known Royal IHC subsidiaries, comprised of IHC Hydrohammer, IHC FUNDEX Equipment, IHC Handling Systems and IHC Sea Steel. Through these combined divisions, IHC IQIP is able to draw on more than 200 years of industry experience and expertise to meet the demands of its broad customer base, including oil and gas corporations, installation contractors, engineering agencies and government authorities.
IHC IQIP was formed with the intention to create one strong organisation within IHC, focused on project rentals and services for foundation, installation and decommissioning. As one organisation IHC IQIP provides a single point of contact and one contract, limiting the number of suppliers and interfaces and reducing the risks for clients in these disciplines. While IHC IQIP is presently a relatively young business, it draws on significant industry knowhow and is quickly moving to further establish its presence within the offshore environment. “We deliver to projects and our clients directly by supplying them with rental equipment and services for specific niches, which is typically different from how the rest of IHC operates. Traditionally IHC was focused on shipbuilding, particularly in areas such as dredging and oil and gas vessels. The decision to buy a vessel is often made by higher management of our clients,” elaborates Executive Director at IHC IQIP, Jan Albert-Westerbeek. “The decision to work with IHC IQIP is different and often made by project teams. Combining the four units into one was designed to make sure that our business centred on project orientation, rentals and services for foundation, installation and decommissioning, so that it can flourish as a separate entity. Within the group we are presently in a transition phase, in which following the establishment of this company and at the end of this year we will further merge and move to one location altogether in an offshore base that we are setting up at the moment.”
Throughout its operations, IHC IQIP divides its services into three main markets, focusing on the offshore wind; offshore oil and gas; and coastal and civil industry sectors. Within these areas, the company works closely with a wide variety of clients ranging from installation contractors, engineering agencies, oil and utility companies to governments. Many IHC IQIP customers are market-leading industry players operating globally, while others are in the earlier stages of growth or operate within niche or local markets. Whatever the size of the business, IHC IQIP is on hand to provide the required solution, no matter how large – or small.
Within the offshore wind sector, IHC IQIP expects that sizeable wind farms will be created over the coming decades. Through its component companies, IHC IQIP has been involved in this market since its early stages and today represents a market-leader for pile driving, noise mitigation and pile handling and guiding for the installation of monopiles, jackets and tripods for complete wind farms and substations. With its large hammers, sleeves and handling equipment, the company is able to install the biggest monopiles on the market and its Noise Mitigation System (NMS) is unique in that it is the only proven technology for mitigating noise during foundation installation. Further to the installation of turbine foundations, IHC IQIP equipment is also perfectly suited to the installation and maintenance of the turbines themselves.
“If you look at offshore wind market, 15 years ago coastal and civil contractors moved offshore and this development began to form a new industry. Today the offshore wind market has grown and matured and now players from the offshore oil and gas sector are beginning to enter into the wind market, under construction is Nordsee One and in the German sector we have also just concluded a rentals project with GeoSea for the Gode wind farm. Another project in which we are involved is the Gemini project in the Netherlands.”
Within the offshore oil and gas sector, IHC IQIP has a long history and a strong connection with the installation of floating and fixed structures, subsea development, and deepwater pipe laying. Over the years operators within the oil and gas industry have increasingly moved from shallow to deeper and even ultra-deep waters, requiring the development of unique and innovative solutions. IHC IQIP supports its clients during this transition by designing and producing equipment capable of withstanding deepwater conditions.
Likewise IHC IQIP has a long-standing reputation for its operations within the global coastal and civil sector, which currently represents a huge and dynamic market. The company has a unique position as a supplier of piling and drilling equipment for working under the most severe circumstances and its equipment is often used for foundation building activities at container terminals, bridges, viaducts, jetties and mooring posts. Recently, interest has increased with regard to the hammer rock breaker combination for the dredging industry.
The technologies employed by IHC IQIP include its range of hydraulic piling hammers, which are deployed for driving piles in various types of offshore projects. The IHC IQIP Hydrohammer’s unique design makes it suitable for all types of piling and foundation work and design incorporates several advantages that allow it overcome the challenge faced by clients in the offshore market. Developments such as this enables the company to offer increased reliability, greater flexibility and increased efficiency, as well as improved safety. As IHC IQIP continues to solidify its position and serve clients throughout the offshore industry, it will follow the trends of the market and actively seek new opportunities around the world. “We will continue to focus our services on our existing main three markets and strengthen the cross selling in these areas. However it is a challenging market at present and conditions are difficult, as everybody knows,” Jan Albert concludes. “On the other hand there are areas that are still developing and we want to be where the action is. As well as continuing to support our existing clients, we will move further into Asia where there is ongoing development in offshore wind as well as activity in the oil and gas sector. We know that Mexico will continue to be active so we will focus on that region too. Wherever we are active, we will enhance our local services so that the client can also find the right solution close by.”
IHC IQIP
Services: Innovative equipment and intelligent offshore solutions