North Star and its shipbuilding partner, Cochin Shipyard Ltd., have cut first steel on EnBW’s new hybrid-electric service operations vessel (SOV). It is on schedule to commence a decade-long minimum charter to service to the He Dreiht wind farm off the coast of Germany, from the end of 2026.
The milestone was celebrated at Cochin Shipyard Ltd. in India, where the planning, engineering design and construction work are being carried out. North Star chief technology officer James Bradford attended the ceremony.
The new build will provide premier accommodation in field for up to 34 wind technicians as they maintain the development’s 64 wind turbines, located around 90 km northwest of the island of Borkum. The SOV will also act as a logistics hub and warehouse.
The ship is of VARD 407 design and has been tailored to meet EnBW’s specific requirements. To drive high performance and efficiencies, the high specification SOV includes Electric Voith Schneider propulsion (eVSP) and is designed to use methanol as a fuel in the future. The ship is also fully equipped with a height adjustable motion compensated gangway and 3D compensated crane.
Construction of its renewables fleet is being project managed entirely in-house by North Star. In the last year, North Star has managed shipbuilding programs at four separate shipyard locations around the globe, building its fleet designed to support the energy transition. Delivered on schedule and within budget, the firm’s successful construction projects demonstrate the team’s ability to locally manage the new-build process in the UK and overseas.
“The first steel cutting is always an exciting moment in the construction phase, and we were pleased to join the build team in India to mark the occasion,” said Bruno Bartel, North Star European renewables lead.
“This milestone also represents the beginning of our ambitious growth strategy in the region, as we expand our footprint in offshore wind markets around Europe,” Bartel said.
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