Keel Laid for DEME’s First SOV for Offshore Wind Farm Maintenance

To be able to offer the total package of services to the offshore wind industry - from installation to maintenance - DEME is investing in its first Service Operation Vessel (SOV) for wind farm maintenance. Concepted by DEME and further designed in close cooperation with Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam and Marin, this innovative vessel significantly improves safety, comfort and workability for wind farm technicians even in the roughest sea conditions. The keel laying ceremony took place on December 13 at Cemre Shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.

The SOV will feature a Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) design, which ensures low wave impact on movements when approaching the wind turbines, compared to a mono-hull SOV. The vessel will enable safe crew transfers in significant wave heights of up to 2.5 m, being the first DP2, twin-hulled SOV in the world.

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, increasing the workability and logistics capabilities of the vessel. 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.

Environmental considerations are an important element of the vessel design with, amongst others, a waste heat recovery system and a Clean Design notation. With the provided DP2 technology the vessel can hold its position in rough sea conditions but still operate with lower fuel consumption when compared to traditional SOVs.

“This project is a milestone in the Offshore Windfarm Industry for the sector’s longlasting environment-friendly future plans. In terms of the vessel’s design and efficiency it can be clearly seen its twin-hull design is particular in its kind. Along with the DP2 technology and motion compensated gangway, SWATH Service Operation Vessel NB72 is going to be a pioneer for the future of the Offshore Wind Market,” says Orhan Gulcek, Chairman of the Board, Cemre Shipyard.

“We believe the twin-hulled design, a motion compensated gangway and dynamic positioning is a winning combination and will further reduce the costs of wind farm maintenance, especially compared to large monohulls reaching similar workability,” says Michael Glavind, Business Unit Director DEME Offshore. “With this first SOV joining our fleet, we further strengthen our capabilities to offer the full offshore wind package, from installation to maintenance.”