Norwegian ship designer and shipbuilder Ulstein has cut the first steel for a Service Operations Vessel (SOV) ordered by Bernhard Schulte.
The SOV yard number 315 is of the SX195 design from Ulstein, and is destined to operate for GE Renewable Energy on the Merkur offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.
The vessel is the third SOV to be constructed by Ulstein for Bernhard Schulte and is a longer version of the two previous vessels. She will come equipped with the X-STERN, same as the previous two vessels: Windea La Cour and Windea Leibniz .
The new SOV will have a centrally positioned walk-to-work motion compensated gangway and elevator tower for personnel and cargo transfers, as well as a 3D compensated crane, and will provide accommodation for 120 persons.
The 396MW Merkur offshore wind farm is currently under construction and is expected to be commissioned in 2019.
Following the delivery of the vessel in early 2020, GE Renewable Energy will use the SOV for the maintenance of the wind farm’s 66 Haliade 150-6MW turbines.
Photos: Ulstein