The decision was taken by interim chief executive Roger Iliffe, who was put in charge at Beluga after the company’s founder and 48% shareholder Niels Stolberg landed recently at the centre of a fraud investigation.

Beluga has targeted the offshore wind sector through a joint venture with construction giant Hochtief, and was understood to be on the cusp of placing an order for the first of several cable-laying vessels from German shipyard Lloyd Werft.

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