Page 38: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2021)

OFFSHORE WIND VESSELS “In terms of conversion of OSV/PSVs one has to look at the wider market.

Existing vessels that could be effective candidates for conversion are likely employed in their current mode; those vessels that

Bureau Veritas are not currently employed will be those that are older, less ef? cient ...” – Daniel Holmes, BV

Wärtsilä design for Jones Act compliant SOV

Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä teamed up with shipowners Wilhelm Wilhelmsen to form form and air cushion system that enables speeds of 43.5 knots,

Edda Wind, which is now set for an initial public offering nearly double the speed of typical CTVs. A CWind release of shares. In March, Edda Wind announced an order for two says: “The high transit speed of the vessel also means wind- additional CSOVs from the Astilleros Gondan yard. At the farms previously serviceable only by an expensive SOV, can beginning of January, the Norwegian stalwart Knutsen OAS now be reached by the SES CTV within 60 minutes, giving explained that it was joining with two Norwegian utilities to wind farm owners and operators more low cost, low carbon form Deep Wind Offshore, a move which would service plots options when determining their transfer strategy.” in the North Sea recently opened up by Norway. In March Potentially, a wider usage of higher speed CTV’s might also, another Norwegian owner Awilco- announced that it, possibly reduce the need for larger accommodation spaces of too, was joining the fray, with reports that its newly estab- SOVs. Such ideas should be taken seriously. lished Integrated Wind Solutions would be ordering crew J.F. Lehman, a leading Private Equity (PE) investor in mar- transport and maintenance vessels. itime service providers, has put its money behind CWind’s

One possible trend to emerge may be seen from CWind parent company, Global Marine Group serving numerous off- in the crew transfer sector. Its CWind Pioneer, launched in shore segments (including cable laying). BV’s Holmes, in dis-

February 2021 from the U.K.’s Wight Shipyard, is a hybrid cussing the movement of turbines to deeper waters, along with (diesel/ battery) powered “surface effect” vessel-with a hull the shift to ? oaters, offers another possibility, saying: “…with 38 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • April 2021

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