Based in Bruges, Belgium, DECO Subsea is a specialized contractor providing technical underwater services to the global offshore energy, renewable, and marine civil sectors. Established in 1996, the company originated as a commercial diving firm before evolving into a multidisciplinary engineering and subsea intervention provider. While its roots lie in traditional diving operations, the company has significantly expanded its capabilities to focus on complex, high-precision subsea tasks, particularly those requiring bespoke tooling and mechanical solutions.
The company’s operational identity is defined by its transition from general underwater labor to specialized engineering support. Over the decades, DECO Subsea has developed a distinct proficiency in abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting and ultra-high-pressure dredging. These technologies allow the company to perform "cold cutting" operations—essential for safety in volatile environments—on steel piles, conductors, jackets, and caissons. Unlike generalist marine contractors, DECO Subsea often designs and engineers its own project-specific systems to address unique challenges, such as the internal cleaning of foundation piles or the surgical removal of soil plugs to facilitate decommissioning work.
In the offshore market, the company plays a dual role. Within the oil and gas sector, it is heavily involved in late-life operations and decommissioning, providing the technical means to sever and remove aging infrastructure from the seabed. Simultaneously, the company has established a strong presence in the renewable energy sector, supporting the installation and maintenance of offshore wind farms. Its teams perform essential preparatory work, including the creation of cable entry holes in foundations and the clearing of seabed obstructions.
Despite its heavy emphasis on remote and automated tooling, DECO Subsea maintains a core diving division. The company utilizes surface-supplied diving teams for inspection, repair, and installation support, often deploying them alongside their mechanical cutting tools. Notably, the company’s diving operations are strictly air and mixed-gas surface oriented, as it does not engage in saturation diving. From its headquarters in Belgium, DECO Subsea mobilizes personnel and containerized equipment spreads worldwide, executing projects that range from the salvage of vessels in busy shipping lanes to the systematic dismantling of platform infrastructure in the North Sea.
