The Danish shipping company, Esvagt, is now introducing the first SOV vessels especially constructed for servicing windfarms.
The first vessel, “ESVAGT FROUDE”, went on contract on Wednesday February 18th, while her sister ship, “ESVAGT FARADAY” is contracted to start at the beginning of April. In both cases they will work as windfarm service vessels for Siemens Wind Power.
The German energy company has provisionally chartered “ESVAGT FROUDE” for a five year contract to service the field and transport personnel during the constructing and operation of the offshore windfarm Baltic 2 and the “ESVAGT FARADAY” for similar jobs for the Butendiek project in the northern part of the Germany provisionally for a 10 year contract.
Delivery of the windfarm service vessels from Havyard Ship Technology opens a new chapter in the history of ESVAGT and it represents the largest combined investment for the shipping company to date. Its fleet now comprises 41 vessels.
Managing Director, Søren Nørgaard Thomsen, finds the entire development of new vessels interesting in several ways – not least as the shipping company’s solid experience and professional skills are the foundation of an innovative approach to the concept.
He said, “We have succeeding in transferring our experience from 33 years in oil and gas to solve a need for transportation and service to the offshore wind industry. A concept has been developed which in our opinion will contribute to ensuring better operational economy for the windfarms.”
The SOVs represent the pinnacle of current development for this type of vessel. Havyard had the hulls built at the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey, while installation of equipment, commissioning and tests were carried out at Leirvik Shipyard in Norway. The scope of the process has been to provide top notch design giving maximum priority to safety, maneuverability, operational reliability, energy consumption and comfort under all conditions.
The vessel offers 60 single cabins for 40 technicians and 20 crew all being able to enjoy the latest technology in all areas. One of the most advanced features is the ‘Walk to Work’system whereby the technicians can walk straight from the vessel to their wind turbines via a gyro-stabilized Ampelmann Gangway – a gangway system being swung to the platform from the windfarm service vessels even when waves are up to 2½ meters high.
A number of innovations ensure a high level of comfort by merging dynamic design of the hull with technical refinements based on a new, innovative DC-technology. Four similar 1650 kW diesel generators make up the vessel’s power plant providing the propulsion system with sufficient power to obtain a speed of some 14.5 knots.
The major electricity consumers are served via frequency transformers and the illumination is based on new, optimized, energy-saving LED-technology.
The vessel is fitted with an active as well as a passive roll suppressing system reducing its movements under adverse weather conditions, thereby adding to the comfort of the windfarm technicians and the crew.
The vessel is fitted out with a number of facilities for the installing, operation and maintenance of almost all types of installations offshore. It has 450 m² workshop facilities and storage for six 20 foot containers for spare parts. Furthermore, several offices are available for the windfarm technicians to enjoy the best possible working conditions onboard.
