Rising Demand for Subsea Support Vessels Predicted Through 2030 Across Multiple Regions
Demand for subsea support vessels is increasing due to higher offshore capital expenditure, particularly in brownfield projects in the Middle East, deepwater developments in Latin America and Africa, and offshore wind in Europe. The Offshore Support Journal Subsea Conference 2026 highlighted global opportunities for subsea construction and maintenance services across oil, gas, renewables, and carbon capture sectors.
S&P Global Energy expects strong demand to continue over the next five years, particularly in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, while demand in Asia-Pacific may soften. Peaks in demand for pipelayers and construction vessels are anticipated in the Middle East and Latin America due to scheduled projects.
Investment in offshore renewables in Europe will also increase work for subsea vessels. Currently, 17 heavy and 18 light construction vessels are under construction for delivery by 2028, which will temporarily affect vessel utilisation.
