Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has ordered a new Service Operation Vessel (SOV) based on a design from Salt Ship Design. The new vessel will be built by Cemre Shipyard in Turkey and will be operating for DONG Energy after it is delivered in Q4 2018.
The new SOV will be used for O&M work on DONG Energy’s German offshore wind farms Borkum Riffgrund 1 and 2, as well as Gode Wind 1 and 2.
The contract, under which Salt Ship will deliver the complete design and engineering package for the new vessel, represents a milestone for the Norwegian ship design company as it enters the offshore wind market with the SOV design. “The growing renewables industry represents an increasingly important market for Salt,” the company said.
The 83m vessel has a beam of 19.4m, and is equipped with Dynamic Motion Compensated Gangway System, accommodation facilities, and unique on-board logistic solutions, according to Salt Ship.
French-based LDA said it is expanding its services and fleet for the renewables industry, and their key personnel have been working closely with Salt for a long time to develop a vessel tailored for the industry needs.
DONG Energy had already ordered two SOVs for its UK projects from Norwegian shipowner Østensjø Rederi. The SOVs, which will be deployed on Race Bank and Hornsea Project One offshore wind farms, are currently under construction at Gondan Shipyard. The SOV that will operate at the Race Bank offshore wind farm is scheduled to be delivered this year and the delivery of the one for Hornsea Project One is expected to take place in Q3 2018.