Belgian marine contractor DEME launched its first ever wind farm Service Operation Vessel (SOV) on 1 October, 2020. The vessel, named ‘Groene Wind’, was developed in close cooperation with Dutch Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam and research institute MARIN. The vessel is due to be delivered in 2021.
DEME launched the SOV at the CEMRE shipyard in Yalova, Turkey. DEME’s in-house newbuild team worked in close collaboration with Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam and research institute MARIN.
Green wind
The SOV design makes use of Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) technology, which is known to provide minimum motions even in high sea state. DP2 technology ensures that the vessel can hold its position in rough seas but at the same time operate with lower fuel consumption. A reduction of up to 50% can be achieved compared to a monohull SOV, DEME said, further reducing the cost of wind farm maintenance.
At 60 m long, the SOV will be equipped with a motion compensated gangway and daughter craft to safely transfer technicians to the wind turbines. It is also designed according to the latest comfort standards, allowing the vessel to be a homely offshore base for up to 24 technicians and a nautical crew.
In line with her green credentials, environmental considerations are integral to the vessel design and include a waste heat recovery system and a Clean Design notation.
Total package of services for the offshore wind industry
With the addition of the SOV to the fleet, DEME can offer the total package of services to the offshore wind industry now – from installation right through to maintenance.
‘Groene Wind’ is due for delivery in 2021 and will be directly chartered to Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy for the maintenance of the Belgian Rentel and Mermaid & Seastar (known as SeaMade) offshore wind farms. According to DEME, its is the first DP2, twin-hulled SOV in the world and the first to serve three different wind farm sites.
