SEAQUALIZE: Offshore, On Balance

On a crane hook in the deep Atlantic, 3,000 tonnes of steel hangs motionless above the waterline. The waves roll, the wind whistles, and the ship pitches gently beneath the load — but the structure doesn’t sway. In that moment, time is money, and every second of stillness matters.

This is where Seaqualize earns its reputation. The Dutch engineering firm has carved out a niche in the most complex corner of offshore construction — dynamic load control. From the US to Europe and now into Asia, the company’s motion compensation systems have proven critical in helping contractors hold, move, and install the heaviest loads with near-surgical precision. The benefits include fewer weather delays, more uptime, and safer, faster, more predictable operations.

What began as a technical curiosity — the passive spring balance mechanism made famous in lamps and camera arms — is now the basis for some of the most sophisticated offshore handling tools on the market. 

“Two brothers started with a different company in the 2010s working on technology they had picked up in their work,” explains Managing Director, Gjalt Lindeboom. “The technology is called spring balance, and it is an old invention from George Carwardine. When deployed exactly right, you can achieve perfect balance in an efficient way.” 

Initially, they explored applications across luggage logistics, kitchens, even fitness. But the tech only came into its own when the weight being balanced became enormous. “They needed to be unique, without using lots of energy and the offshore space was asking for a solution like this – especially useful for a crane on a vessel where you need to hold it still without using a lot of power. That’s when we started Seaqualize.” 

It was in collaboration with Ampelmann — another Dutch innovator known for its motion-compensated gangways — that Seaqualize went from innovation to operation in offshore. “Together, we learned a lot around how to build offshore products, gain offshore certification, how to handle suppliers, and how to build a team,” says Lindeboom. 

When the time came to go it alone, the focus was clear: vertical motion control, at scale. The result was the first large scale innovation: the Heave Chief. 

PROVING GROUND 

The evolution of the Heave Chief followed a rapid and deliberate path: from 50kg, to 2,000kg, then 600,000kg, and eventually 1,100 tonnes. These tools were designed to hang from any standard heavy lifting crane hook and remove vertical motion from a suspended load — critical when transferring turbine components from floating supply barges to installation vessels. 

“We now have two machines which have been operational in the field for three years. We have lifted more than 270,000 tons out in the open ocean, and supported the construction of 200 turbines in the US,” details Lindeboom. Seaqualize is proud of the fact it has moved most tonnages, with inline Active Heave Compensation, of any company in the world, all complete with zero safety incidents and minimal time lost. 

That’s where the company made its mark. With the boom in US offshore wind construction — much of it reliant on feeder barge strategies — Seaqualize’s tools enabled work to continue through conditions that would have grounded traditional operations. “Most of our conversations are around workability. Without our tool, you can work in the winter months between 10 and 30%. In March, you would typically install around six. However, without tool, you can install 10 or 12.” 

In an industry with lengthy installation timelines, this uplift is transformational. “For a project that starts in February, with projects typically lasting 450 days, we can potentially push that down towards 200 days. That is the number one drive of renting our tool,” Lindeboom states. 

And when the loads get heavier — 3,000 tonnes or more — safety becomes as much of a concern as efficiency. “Super heavy loads moving uncontrollably puts a lot of force on the crane, on the gripper, on tag line systems. Preventing those dynamics helps a lot.”

GLOBAL VISION

The strategy now turns to other global hotspots. “We are now focused on the rest of the world – Europe and Asia, and also projects in Australia and off the coast of African countries where there is very long swell. These are hindering ship dynamics and if they need to transfer anything, the workability is currently not there,” Lindeboom says.

Long swell (periods between eight and sometimes 20 seconds), often overlooked in installation planning, can wreak havoc on offshore lifts — particularly in early-stage regions with limited specialist vessel availability. “Our brand is now well positioned to help out in these conditions.”

Beyond geography, Seaqualize is deepening its technology application beneath the waves.

“There are active heave cranes that can hold a load quite well under the water for oil and gas or cable repairs,” Lindeboom suggests. “But there is a need for more vessels, including those that are not equipped with active heave technology.” That’s where Reef Chief comes in — a suspended tool that allows even conventional cranes to perform high-precision subsea lifts. “We have an innovation that can be hung in a standard crane, bring a load subsea, while being held very still.”

FLEET IN FOCUS

Currently, Seaqualize has two Heave Chiefs in operation — both completing their US campaigns by April. Soon to join the fleet is a Full Motion Chief for loads up to 100 tonnes, and a Reef Chief capable of handling five to 10 tonnes. A 3,000-tonne Full Motion Chief is also on the drawing board.

But time is tight. “We often have developers approach us and ask for a tool in 90 days. To build from scratch, even for small tools, it takes six months. We will need to have these tools standing on the quayside ready to go,” admits Lindeboom.

It’s a push that will rely on Dutch supply chain partners for steel, cylinders, and hydraulics, while Seaqualize handles final assembly, engineering, commissioning, and operations in-house.

The company is also watching emerging trends in foundation technology. “Many companies are looking at low-noise piling solutions that use for example water-jetting. That is very interesting for us because that technology is supercharged if you put a Full-Motion Chief above it. It provides significant higher workability, efficiency and financial benefits.”

STEADY OUTLOOK

Like much of the offshore wind sector, Seaqualize has had to recalibrate expectations over the past 18 months.

“We were very optimistic, not only about the US market but also about the global renewable sector, but there has been a huge shift,” admits Lindeboom. “Ambitions have been tuned down – we see that in the Netherlands and across Europe.” High interest rates, subsidy-free projects, and volatile project economics have created new pressure points.

But he still sees a bright path — if the industry commits. “If we want to make a success of the energy transition, we need to invest in it. Offshore wind is then essential in the mix. That means, we need to make the installation process more efficient and stop wasting time waiting for weather. This is where our tool delivers.”

And as the industry matures, so too does Seaqualize’s mission. “Now, it is about expanding beyond wind only. We want to focus on civil structures, subsea installations, decommissioning (wind or oil and gas), ship-to-ship transfer etc. We want to make your waves workable, for any offshore operation.”

A new generation of tools is already planned. “We want to have a Full-Motion Chief in 3000-ton, 800 ton and 100 ton to handle a range of loads, alongside three Reef Chiefs. Six new machines in the next three years would be amazing, and that is our target.”

For offshore construction to meet the moment, time and tide must be tamed. Seaqualize, with its ever-expanding family of balance tools, is making sure neither is an obstacle to progress.