Offshore Windfarm Support Vessel Design Gets an Airing

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Tuesday June 21, 2022

Two UK firms have developed a design for an offshore windfarm support vessel (SOV).

Marine technology specialist James Fisher and Graig Shipping are part of the Diamond Consortium which includes class society DNV and designer Ulstein Design Solutions.

The design called the Ulstein twin x-stern (Ulstein SX221) will support the UK's target of 50GW of offshore wind energy generation by 2030.

Key to the vessel design is its "reduced energy consumption and increased manoeuvrability"  which will allow windfarm developers to "lower scope 3 emissions" when building the offshore units, according to the two firms.

"Building SOVs in series volumes achieves significant economies of scale and delivers a design that can be built in multiple yards simultaneously," said business development director at James Fisher Jim Hey.

"Considering the anticipated market demand for SOVs in the UK and beyond by the end of the decade, this exciting new concept places the UK at the centre of enabling global offshore wind ambitions," Hey added.