Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK — North Star is preparing to mobilize its second newbuild hybrid-propulsion service operation vessel (SOV) three months ahead of schedule to support SSE Renewables at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm development in the UK southern North Sea.
Grampian Tyne, the first of the new fleet, was officially named last month at the project’s O&M base in Port of Tyne, north-east England. The second SOV, the larger Grampian Derwent which provides increased accommodation capacity and a helideck, was recently delivered to North Star in Vietnam.
Under a new contract award, the company will assist construction and commissioning for the development’s initial phase 130 km from the east Yorkshire coast. The vessel will then enter their scheduled long-term charters involving operations and maintenance (O&M) for field activities.
Doggger Bank is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%),
North Star has commissioned a total of four new hybrid-electric ships, all of which should be operating offshore by 2026, on 10-year minimum term charter agreements. All were designed by VARD in Norway
Grampian Derwent, the largest of the four, can accommodate 50 client technicians compared with 40 personnel on the other three, and also has a 17-m helideck and larger 5-metric ton capacity 3D crane for offshore lifting.
North Star will employ digital tools and its Decision Support Software to monitor progress in terms of operational tracking, KPI’s and improving emissions.
And the company, in partnership with VARD, has now started work on construction of its first two commissioning SOVs for the offshore wind sector.
7/7/2023
