Japanese shipowner NYK has placed an order with Singapore’s PaxOcean Group for a service operation vessel (SOV) for supporting offshore wind projects in Taiwan.
The Taiwan-flagged vessel will be built at PaxOcean Graha in Batam, Indonesia, and will be delivered around 2029. It will have a length of 89.6 metres, a beam of about 19.2 metres, and accommodation for up to 120 people.
Norway’s Ulstein said PaxOcean had entered into a separate agreement with Ulstein Design and Solutions covering design and engineering for the SOV.
Ulstein Power and Control will supply an integrated system for hybrid power and automation based on direct current, linking power generation, energy storage, propulsion and control.
NYK expects to deploy the SOV on projects in Taiwan and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region alongside IOVTEC, an offshore wind company based in Taiwan, and Hsin Chien Marine, a shipowner and ship manager.
The SOV will use dynamic positioning to maintain its position, while its motion-compensated gangway and crane will support transfers of personnel and cargo to offshore wind turbines. It will also have a deck area for construction-related logistics.
The SOV can work in either direction because the hull will have matching bow and stern forms. Ulstein said this arrangement means it need not turn when the weather shifts and can lower energy use while holding position.
The vessel will be equipped for both methanol use and fully electric operation and will be classed by DNV and CR.