Wison New Energies has officially launched yard activities for the Baleine Phase 3 FPSO project, with the first steel cut for the hull taking place on 30 August 2026, marking a significant construction milestone for the Eni-linked development.

Yard Activities Begin at Wison Facility

Wison New Energies, serving as the EPCIC contractor on the Baleine Phase 3 FPSO project, announced the commencement of yard activities on 30 August 2026.

The company confirmed the milestone in a LinkedIn post, describing the start of construction work as an important step forward in the execution of the project.

The first steel cut for the hull served as the formal marker of this activity commencing at the yard. The EPCIC designation, covering engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning, places Wison New Energies at the centre of the project's full lifecycle delivery. The company has been working in collaboration with Eni on the Baleine development, which is located offshore Côte d'Ivoire.

Collaboration Cited as Key to Reaching the Milestone

In its announcement, Wison New Energies credited the progress to the continued commitment and close collaboration of all teams and partners involved in the project.

The company did not identify specific partner organisations beyond the references to Eni embedded in the project's broader context and hashtags accompanying the post.

The commencement of yard activities represents a transition from planning and preparatory phases into active physical construction, a stage that carries considerable logistical and scheduling significance for offshore projects of this scale.

Next Milestone: First Steel Cut for Topsides

Wison New Energies indicated that the next key milestone anticipated for the project is the first steel cut for the topsides.

The topsides represent the processing and operational equipment that sits above the hull on a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel, and their construction typically follows hull fabrication in the project schedule.

The company stated it intends to maintain the current momentum as the project progresses toward successful delivery, though no specific timeline or target delivery date for the completed FPSO was provided in the announcement.

Baleine Field and the Phase 3 Development

The Baleine field, operated by Eni, is situated in the Côte d'Ivoire portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The field has been developed in phases, with Phase 3 representing a further expansion of production capacity from the asset.

The deployment of a dedicated FPSO for this phase is consistent with the development model used across deepwater and offshore oil and gas projects in West Africa, where FPSOs serve as the primary production infrastructure.

Wison New Energies, a unit operating within the broader Wison group, has positioned itself as a contractor with a focus on new energy and offshore processing infrastructure. The company's involvement as an EPCIC contractor on Baleine Phase 3 reflects its ongoing activity in the floating production sector.

Wison's Role in the Project

As an EPCIC contractor, Wison New Energies holds responsibility for delivering the FPSO from design through to commissioning.

The first steel cut for the hull is conventionally regarded as one of the earliest and most symbolically significant construction events in a shipbuilding or conversion project, signalling that the physical build phase has formally commenced rather than remaining in preparatory or fabrication-planning stages.

The company made no reference in its announcement to the specific yard location where the activities are being carried out, nor did it provide details on the overall contract value or the production capacity specifications of the FPSO unit being constructed for the Baleine Phase 3 development.