Bernhard Schulte Offshore takes delivery of second CSOV from Norwegian builder

Germany's Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) has taken delivery of a new commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) from Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein Verft.

Windea Clausius is the second CSOV to be built by Ulstein Verft for BSO. Windea Curie, the first vessel, was delivered earlier this year.

The vessel belongs to the same series as Olympic Boreas, a CSOV that was delivered to Norwegian operator Olympic in 2024. Design work was undertaken by Ulstein Design and Solutions.

Key features of the CSOV include a motion-compensated walk-to work gangway and elevator tower, a helicopter deck, and a 3D-compensated crane. Ulstein said these features make the vessel ideal for a range of projects in the oil and gas and renewables sectors.

The CSOV features Ulstein's proprietary twin-stern design with main propellers located fore and aft. The twin-stern solution has a characteristic hull shape that reduces resistance and motions, thus ensuring safer walk-to-work operations.

The vessel features 111 cabins for accommodating up to 132 people. Ulstein said lifesaving equipment is available for all onboard. The hybrid battery propulsion can also be configured to enable operation on methanol fuel in the future.

The Schulte Group said the newbuilding is named after German physicist Rudolf Clausius, whose work on thermodynamics established fundamental principles for understanding energy transformations, including wind energy.