It's the offshore wind sector that is the main focus of this latest succession of vessel orders and deliveries. Newly built maintenance vessels are entering service in the UK and Taiwan while orders have been placed for new installation and survey assets.
New crewboat pair delivered to UK's WEM Marine
Strategic Marine of Singapore has delivered two new crewboats to UK-based WEM Marine.
Sister vessels WEM 5 and WEM 6 each have a length of 27 metres, seating for up to 24 technicians, and two Caterpillar C32 engines driving fixed-pitch propellers. The crewboats were able to reach speeds in excess of 26 knots during recent sea trials.
The newbuilds are the final four in a series of crewboats. The first two examples were delivered to WEM Marine in 2021.
Taiwan's Ta San Shang Marine welcomes SOV to fleet
Ta San Shang Marine, a joint venture company of Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Taiwan's Ta Tong Marine, has taken delivery of a new service operation vessel (SOV) built by Vard Vung Tau in Vietnam.
TSS Pioneer will operate in Taiwan under charter with Ørsted. Its initial deployment will be in support of the 900MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a offshore wind farms.
The SOV measures 85.4 by 19.5 metres and can accommodate 90 crewmembers and technicians. It is also equipped with a DP system and a motion compensated gangway.
Catamaran workboat enters service with HST Marine
UK crewboat operator HST Marine recently took delivery of a new multi-purpose workboat from Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld in the Netherlands.
HST Hazel will be based out of the Port of Swansea in Wales, though it will also be operated in support of clients in south-western England. It is the fifth Damen-built vessel to join the HST fleet following four 27-metre fast crewboats.
The 23-metre catamaran will be used for towing, cable-laying, and other duties in support of the offshore renewables sector.
Sembcorp Marine to build turbine installation vessel
Singapore-based Sembcorp Marine, through wholly-owned subsidiary Sembcorp Marine Rigs and Floaters, has secured a contract for the construction of a wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) for an undisclosed customer.
The WTIV project is scheduled to be completed in early 2025. The vessel will be capable of operating at a high level of efficiency and to handle the next generation of wind turbines, which are scaled up in size with longer, lighter rotor blades, taller towers, more reliable drive trains, performance optimising control systems and multi-megawatt power generation.
Norway's Argeo taps local supplier for long-endurance AUV
Norwegian subsea survey and inspection company Argeo has placed an order for a new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to be supplied by compatriot firm Kongsberg Maritime.
The AUV will be depth-rated to 6,000 metres and will be capable of survey missions lasting up to 50 hours while cruising underwater at a speed of four knots.
The craft will be designed to operate autonomously or semi-autonomously along pre-planned routes with provision for supervision and intervention via an acoustic tether.
Van Oord orders autonomous offshore survey craft
Van Oord has awarded Netherlands-based unmanned systems specialist Demcon a contract for the construction of a new autonomous craft capable of undertaking surveys in offshore waters.
The vessel will have a length of six metres and battery propulsion that will allow it to perform week-long survey operations at sea. It will be designed for use in support of a range of activities such as dredging operations, installing offshore wind turbines, and constructing maritime infrastructure.
The craft will also have a satellite communications system in addition to a standard redundant WLAN and an LTE (4G/5G) datalink, giving it a multi-redundant communications capability.