HEA Energy to buy Subsea7’s six-vessel heavy transport unit

By Amara Osei

HEA Energy has agreed to acquire Subsea7’s six-vessel heavy transport business for undisclosed financial terms, with completion expected in the first half of 2027. The deal would add six specialist ships to HEA Energy’s growing offshore fleet.

The Abu Dhabi-based buyer will take the unit from Seaway7, Subsea7’s offshore renewables arm. Subsea7 said the transaction remains subject to “customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.” The timetable is clear; regulatory clearance is not.

The package comprises five owned and one chartered open-deck semi-submersible heavy transport vessels:

• Five owned vessels: Seaway Eagle, Seaway Falcon, Seaway Hawk, Seaway Osprey and Seaway Albatross.
• One chartered vessel: Seaway Swan.

Together, the ships transport offshore wind foundations, substations, jackup rigs, offshore modules and other oversized cargo. Their lifting and transportation capabilities cover loads of up to 55,000 tonnes, or 55 million kilograms. The cargo mix gives HEA exposure to several offshore project-cargo categories rather than a single cargo stream.

What does this change for shippers, carriers and forwarders?

For shippers of offshore wind foundations, substations, jackup rigs and modules, the deal widens the pool of specialist heavy-lift operators. However, no charter terms, project assignments, deployment schedule or pricing accompanied the announcement. Until those details emerge, forwarders can qualify HEA as a potential supplier, but should not promise an available lift slot.

For forwarders, HEA becomes a larger counterparty for oversized energy and infrastructure cargo. The six acquired vessels equal nearly one-third of HEA’s 19-vessel delivered fleet as of September, while another 12 ships remain under construction. Useful scale, but no immediate promise of open capacity.

For carriers, the transaction consolidates HEA’s rapid fleet build-out into a broader offshore platform spanning the Middle East and Europe. Subsea7, meanwhile, exits direct ownership of the six heavy transport ships once the sale closes. HEA’s direction remains expansion rather than retreat.

HEA was established in 2022 by Hassan Elali, the founder and former executive chairman of Zakher Marine International (ZMI), which ADNOC Logistics & Services acquired. HEA has built its offshore support and wind-maintenance fleets through newbuildings and acquisitions.

By September, HEA had 19 vessels delivered and another 12 under construction, with deliveries scheduled through 2027. On that disclosed basis, the group has 31 vessels before adding the acquired six, making this a significant but not dominant expansion.

In Europe, HEA has secured offshore wind-maintenance contracts using its jackup vessels, including HEA Hercules, which was mobilised for a North Sea campaign earlier this year.

The sale forms one of the permitted divestments under Subsea7’s merger agreement with Italian offshore contractor Saipem and will trigger a €105 million special dividend to Subsea7 shareholders. The dividend gives shareholders a defined cash consequence even though HEA’s purchase price remains undisclosed.

Subsea7 and Saipem are working toward the proposed merger, which would create Saipem7 with combined revenues of about €21 billion ($23.6 billion). On November 4, Brazil’s competition watchdog gave conditional clearance, requiring the separate sale of the Seven Borealis pipelay and heavylift vessel to address competition concerns.

The proposed combination still faces regulatory scrutiny in Europe and Australia. The six-ship transaction also requires its own customary approvals, leaving HEA’s broader 31-vessel delivery program and the Saipem merger on parallel regulatory tracks.

Through 2027, the decisive variables are regulatory clearance, the merger review in Europe and Australia, and HEA’s scheduled deliveries. The six ships expand potential capability; until project assignments and rates emerge, they do not rewrite the heavy-lift rate card.