Efforts are underway to develop the first service vessels designed in Asia specifically to meet the needs of the emerging global offshore wind farm market. The designs will be co-developed by Singapore’s Marco Polo Marine and Seatech Solutions International with an emphasis on green technologies and an improved work environment for the teams working on offshore projects.
The project is seeking to develop both a specialized Service Operation Vessel (SOV) and a Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) specialized for the service, maintenance, and operational needs of the offshore wind industry. Vessels will be designed with green features, including hybrid battery-based energy storage systems, that the companies report will reduce carbon emissions by up to 15 to 20 percent compared to a non-diesel electric hybrid vessel.
Among the features they are planning to incorporate into the design are a 3D motion-compensated crane and gangway, while the launching, landing, and storing of drones are incorporated in each vessel’s design and work. The SOV will be the first offshore wind vessel in the world to be drone-equipped for the global wind farm market
Equipped with a full suite of daughter craft, elevator towers, and skidding systems, the vessels will be future-ready with hybrid battery-based energy storage systems (ESS) and enhanced automation. The SOV will be designed to function as a mother ship for wind turbine technicians performing maintenance and service work at offshore wind farms, while the CSOV will be designed to support commissioning work during the construction of offshore wind farms, as well as their maintenance operations.
The vessel’s interior will be designed for premium comfort, together with a modern user-centric workflow for the wind turbine technicians. The SOV will be able to accommodate 60 people with the CSOV can accommodate up to 110 people. Each is being designed according to the highest standards of safety and comfort with for example large windows for maximum daylight. Special attention is also being paid to a clean and neat layout, giving rise to a modern user-centric workflow for wind turbine technicians.
Sean Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Marco Polo Marine notes that the design will be a first-of-their-kind, specialized vessel to support the supply and logistics needs of the offshore wind farm sector. “Essentially, the SOV and CSOV represent a milestone and a giant leap forward for the offshore maritime industry, as it transitions to fuels with a lower or minimal carbon footprint. This project brings together different industry players with aligned values to cut greenhouse gas emissions, which dovetails with global and Singapore government initiatives to combat climate change.”
source: The Maritime Executive
