Energy and marine consultancy ABL has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with shipbroker Baltic Maritime Broker (BMB) to provide advanced marine assurance and surveying services supporting vessel operations in the Baltic Sea.

Poland-headquartered BMB is a brokerage firm specializing in offshore vessels for Polish and wider Baltic Sea marine operations across the oil and gas and renewable energy markets, including offshore wind.

Under the MoU, ABL's operations in Poland will collaborate with BMB to deliver vessel assurance and marine risk services that help vessel owners, operators, and offshore project stakeholders identify and mitigate operational risks before mobilisation. Pre-mobilisation assurance has become increasingly critical as offshore energy projects grow in scale and complexity, with vessel-related delays and incidents carrying significant cost and safety implications. The collaboration will support safer and more efficient marine operations across the Baltic offshore energy sector through expert marine assurance services, including International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) surveys and inspections.

"We are very proud to sign this MoU with BMB, a leading player in Baltic Sea offshore operations. Through this collaboration, we can help BMB and its clients gain greater confidence in vessel suitability, reduce operational risk and support safe project delivery. Our presence in Poland and Germany allows us to mobilise local expertise quickly, while bringing the global standards and experience expected from ABL's marine assurance teams," said Michal Zientarski, ABL's country lead in Poland.

The partnership reflects growing demand for vessel assurance and marine risk services across the Baltic Sea region, driven by continued investment in offshore wind, marine infrastructure, and offshore energy developments. The Baltic Sea has emerged as one of Europe's most active offshore wind corridors, with Poland alone targeting several gigawatts of installed capacity under its 2021 Offshore Wind Act, creating sustained demand for specialised vessel services and marine risk expertise. By combining BMB's brokerage expertise with ABL's marine assurance capabilities, the parties aim to support safer and more efficient vessel operations throughout the project lifecycle.

"The needs of the Baltic Sea offshore market are much greater than just taking care of the tonnage of vessels, so over time we expanded our offer with additional services. Delivering vessel assurance and marine risk services through a local partner that can tap into global hub of expertise is what we gain through collaborating with ABL," said Marcin Plichta, CEO of BMB.

ABL's Polish team, based in Gdansk, provides services in engineering and consulting, loss prevention, asset and operations management, and loss management, with a focus on driving safety, sustainability, and efficiency in local maritime, oil and gas, and renewable energy operations. The in-country team is further complemented by ABL Hamburg in Germany.

ABL's team in Poland is already actively engaged in supporting Baltic Sea operations, working on offshore wind projects Baltica 2 — a joint development by PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna and Ørsted with a planned capacity of approximately 1.5 GW — and the BC-Wind Offshore Windfarm, along with prominent offshore oil and gas developments.

ABL is part of Oslo-listed consultancy group Aqualis ASA.

Source: ABL via Hellenic Shipping News