Service operation vessels (SOVs) are in the spotlight in this latest roundup following a number of noteworthy orders by both old and new players in the offshore wind market. Europe continues to be the centre of activity, though interesting developments are also occurring in other regions, such as West Africa.
Edda Wind contracts Spanish yard for two more SOVs
Edda Wind, a company jointly owned by Wilhelmsen Group and Østensjø Group, has awarded Spanish shipbuilder Gondan a contract for the construction of two SOVs.
The Salt Ship-designed vessels will join eight others in the Edda Wind fleet in providing service support to clients in the offshore wind market.
North Star bags Dogger Bank SOV tender
Following a competitive tender process, North Star Renewables, a subsidiary of Aberdeen-based North Star Shipping, has been awarded contracts to deliver three service operation vessels (SOVs) to be used on the 3.6GW Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the North Sea.
North Star will deliver the SOVs to Dogger Bank operator Equinor from the summer of 2023. These will be chartered to Dogger Bank by North Star for a 10-year period, with an option for three one-year extensions.
New Norwegian offshore wind player orders walk-to-work vessel quartet
Norwegian company Awind, a recently formed subsidiary of Integrated Wind Solutions (itself a subsidiary of Awilco), has awarded China Merchants Group a contract for the construction of two walk-to-work vessels in a series plus options for up to four other vessels.
The vessels will each have accommodations for 120 people and a motion-compensated crane and gangway.
The vessels' primary role will be to support installation, operations, and maintenance at offshore wind farms.
Fast crewboat delivered to Saudi Arabia's High Seas Marine
UAE builder Grandweld Shipyards recently delivered a new fast crewboat to High Seas Marine and Industrial Services based in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia.
Named Tamimi 4, the vessel was built to be capable of high-deadweight operations and improved seakeeping even under adverse weather conditions.
Recent sea trials showed that the vessel's four engines will enable it to reach speeds of up to 31 knots.
KARMOL's newest FSRU to commence operations in Senegal
KARMOL, a joint venture between Turkey's Karpowership and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), took delivery of a new LNG floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) from Sembcorp Marine on Monday, March 15.
The 125,470-cubic-metre KARMOL LNGT Powership will enable KARMOL to offer LNG-powered electricity to end users in Senegal via the floating powership Karadeniz Powership Ayşegül Sultan.
KARMOL intends to deploy similar powership-FSRU tandems to supply LNG-powered electricity to countries with no domestic gas supply. One other FSRU is already under construction and is slated for Mozambique.