Brazil’s emerging offshore industry offers an alternative challenge for naval architects. The region’s shallow water will require redesigned vessels that will work in very different conditions to those experienced in Europe’s North Sea. Brazil’s offshore ships will look quite different from the platform supply vessels (PSVs) and anchor handlers (AHTS) currently in use there.

The levelised cost of energy has seen offshore wind dive well below fossil fuels. And following damage reports in the Middle East there is a chance that this situation will persist for some years. Oil is expected to remain around US$90/barrel, prompting European operators to develop electric solutions, charging support vessels on location at windfarm arrays.

Making American Shipbuilding Great Again is a challenge that has been accepted by South Korean Yard Hanwha, with its investment in the Philly Yard. To resuscitate the industry will need a major effort, but it could start with the smaller, less complex vessels operating in offshore wind and could provide an opportunity for naval architects too.