Offshore staff
ÅLESUND, Norway – North Star Renewables has contracted VARD to design and construct three service operation vessels (SOVs) that will operate on the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the North Sea.
The SOVs were developed by VARD in close cooperation with Aberdeen-based North Star, which has secured 10-year charter contracts for the trio from Dogger Bank Wind Farm in a broad international competition. The charters include options for three one-year extensions.
Dogger Bank is currently under construction by joint-venture partners SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Eni and when completed is expected to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
One vessel will be of the VARD 4 19 design and the other two of its VARD 4 12 design.
Thomas Brathaug, a Vard Design concept designer, said: “The VARD 4 19 design has been developed specifically to handle planned maintenance on the Dogger Bank A and B wind arrays. It is tailored for operations in the harsh North Sea environment more than 130 km [81 mi] off the northeast coast of England. Crew well-being is vital to ensure safe and efficient operations, so safety and comfort have been a strong focus throughout the process.”
Another key design element was to ensure efficient logistics. “All the vessels have a height-adjustable, motion-compensated gangway with elevator system, a height-adjustable boat transfer system, as well as a 3D-compensated crane for cargo transfer,” Brathaug said.
The 85-m (279-ft) vessel has a beam of 19 m (62 ft) and will be able to accommodate 78 crew members in single cabins.
Developed to perform corrective maintenance on Dogger Bank and based on the same design philosophy, the other VARD 4 12 pair will be 78 m (256 ft) in length with a beam of 19 m and accommodation for 60 persons in single cabins.
For optimal efficiency, the hybrid vessels will be equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system, highly efficient main propellers, and tunnel thrusters with permanent magnet electric motors in combination with SeaQ solutions supplied by Vard Electro in Norway.
They will feature a fully integrated SeaQ ESS solution in combination with SeaQ IAS, SeaQ PMS, SeaQ EMS, and SeaQ Green Pilot (energy monitoring system) for improved operational performance and reduced environmental footprint. The set-up makes it possible to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, in addition to enhance responsiveness and safety, the company said.
The vessels will be built at the Vard Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam. Deliveries are scheduled for 2023.
04/06/2021
