STS Joint Venture and TotalEnergies have partnered with Beyond the Sea to evaluate wind-assisted towing for the GranMorgu FPSO destined for Block 58 offshore Suriname, SBM Offshore announced.

The study will test whether Beyond the Sea's kite-based propulsion technology can cut fuel burn and emissions during the long tow-out of the floating production, storage and offloading unit from its fabrication yards to the Guyana-Suriname Basin. STS — the joint venture handling towing and installation scope for the project — will run the technical assessment alongside the operator's marine team.

GranMorgu is the centerpiece of Suriname's first offshore oil development, operated by TotalEnergies with APA Corporation as partner. The FPSO, under construction by SBM Offshore, will be moored in deep water on Block 58, where the company discovered multiple oil-bearing reservoirs across the basin.

What is wind-assisted towing?

Beyond the Sea, a French marine-technology firm, develops large towing kites that harness wind power aloft, where speeds exceed those at deck level. Attached to a vessel or towed structure, the kite delivers propulsive force that offsets tugboat engine load. On a heavy-tow operation spanning an ocean crossing, even a modest thrust contribution compounds into measurable fuel savings.

For the GranMorgu campaign, the appeal is straightforward: an FPSO tow consumes large volumes of marine gasoil across thousands of nautical miles, and every tonne of bunkers avoided trims the project's upfront carbon footprint before first oil.

How firm is this?

The partnership is an evaluation, not a commitment. The parties will assess feasibility, engineering integration and operational risk before deciding whether the kite system joins the actual tow spread. TotalEnergies and STS have not set a decision date, and conventional tug-only towing remains the baseline scenario.

SBM Offshore disclosed the collaboration in a company release. The company said the initiative fits its broader work on lowering emissions across the FPSO lifecycle, from construction through operations.

Why it matters for the basin

Suriname's Block 58 development anchors the country's entry into deepwater production, mirroring the play across the maritime border on Stabroek Block, where ExxonMobil and partners have sanctioned multiple FPSOs. Emissions performance has become a competitive differentiator for operators seeking financing and regulatory goodwill in frontier basins.

A successful demonstration on GranMorgu could open a wider market for wind-assisted heavy towage — the sector moves every FPSO, jackup and platform from yard to field, and fuel is a major line item in each campaign.

The watch item

The number to watch is the study's outcome: whether STS and TotalEnergies greenlight kite assistance for the GranMorgo tow. Beyond that, first oil from the Suriname project remains the basin-defining milestone, and every marine logistics decision between now and startup feeds the schedule.