Page 36: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2021)

OFFSHORE WIND VESSELS ropean veterans. The Danish company Esvagt, in mid-March, out? tted with kit from ABB, using the Onboard DC Grid pow- announced a link-up with Jones Act veteran Crowley to par- er distribution system. According to ABB, “Onboard DC Grid ticipate in the burgeoning U.S. markets (See story pg. 40) solution enables variable speed technology to dynamically op-

Windea, a joint venture of a group of German shipowners, timize system energy use in line with the load situation, which has also set its sights on the U.S. markets, setting up a new results in a 20% cut in fuel consumption. Power from the dual entity, Mid Ocean Offshore, in partnership with the U.S. en- batteries on board will be introduced to maximize ef? ciency, tity Mid Ocean, which has experience in U.S. product tankers and the energy stored can come from a variety of sources, and, more recently, in LNG barging. including renewables.” Norwegian equipment supplier Mac-

The North Sea has been a hotbed of SOV activity. Norwe- Gregor Norway AS provides its Horizon motion compensated gian owner Edda Wind operates two purpose-built SOVs, gangway and its Colibri motion compensated crane, on the

Edda Mistral and Edda Passat, for wind markets. The com- Wind of Hope, a sister vessel. Wind of Change has the Colibri pany stresses the onboard 23m heave compensated gangways crane and a gangway from Uptime International. to allow technicians to safely “walk to work”. The vessels’

Rolls-Royce design also includes RR “…diesel electric main Conversions machinery, consisting of frequency controlled electric driven The European market has also seen conversions of existing azimuth thrusters, super silent mounted transverse thrusters, OSV’s to offshore wind service, with the addition of “walk to

DP2 dynamic positioning system, power electrical system, work” gangways, motion compensating cranes, and prefabri- deck machinery, and the latest generation Acon automation cated accommodation blocks. The Norwegian owner Island and control system.” Offshore, owner of four “walk to work” boats, has stressed

The owner has two more SOV’s on order from at Astille- ? exibility; the vessels serve oil and gas platforms, but also act ros Balenciaga, and two SOVs out? tted for commissioning as SOV’s for offshore wind. In describing its Island Diligence, of turbines (CSOVs) from the Astilleros Gondan yard, all for delivered in 2018 from VARD Brevik, the company explains 2022 delivery. that the vessel was originally ordered as a platform supply

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, better known as a drybulk market vessel. But, with wind energy demand growing, they explain stalwart, has also entered the SOV world with its 84m DP2 that it was “… rebuilt as an accommodation and offshore ser- capable Wind of Change (designed by Salt Ship), delivered in vice vessel with the capacity to accommodate 100 persons on 2019 from the Cemre yard in Turkey, and recently working at board, maritime crew included, and is equipped with a heave the Godewind project in the German North Sea. The vessel is compensated and a 23 m telescopic gangway from Uptime. A

World Energy Reports 36 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • April 2021

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