Page 8: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2001)

Investment in Design by David Tinsley, technical editor

Europe's fledgling offshore wind power industry has produced an order for an entirely new breed of vessel designed to transport and position wind turbines. U.K.- based engineering firm Mayflower Energy has con- tracted one such vessel from Shanhaiguan Shipyard in northern China on the strength of emerging demand for alternative, 'clean' energy sources.

U.K. government plans call for 1,300 new 2-MW off- shore turbines to be brought on stream over the next 10 years, and other littoral European countries have for- mulated large-scale projects for wind power generation systems. The perceived environmental acceptability of harnessing wind power for electricity generation is a strong motivator for the evident political approbation.

Mayflower's early initiative in offering the sector a purpose-designed newbuild as from February 2003 can be expected to give the group a competitive edge. It has taken out an option on a second ship from Shan- haiguan, and industry sources indicate that as many as six vessels are tentatively envisioned.

The 426-ft. (130-m) design of wind power installa- tion vessel developed by the respected Copenhagen

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