VESSEL REVIEW | Windward Athens – New CSOV to support renewables maintenance work in Europe
German joint venture company Windward Offshore has taken delivery of a new hybrid commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) from Norwegian shipbuilder Vard.
The DNV-classed, Malta-registered Windward Athens was built by Vard Shipyards Romania while commissioning and final outfitting took place at Vard Brattvaag in Norway. The CSOV was designed by Vard Design and features a new hull form that has been developed to ensure optimised seakeeping abilities as well as low fuel consumption.
Full walk-to-work equipment suite on deck
The vessel has a length of 87.5 metres (287 feet feet), a moulded beam of 19.5 metres (64 feet), and a draught of 5.3 metres (17 feet), and a depth of 7.3 metres (24 feet).
An aft deck with a total area of 320 square metres (3,400 square feet) features an Ampelmann height-adjustable, motion-compensated gangway with an elevator system, Seaonics 3D motion-comensated cranes with lifting capacities of seven tons each, and a height-adjustable boat landing system.
Both the aft deck and the warehouse are capable of transporting assorted cargo in addition to providing easy access to the gangway and the cranes, allowing for more efficient passage of personnel.
Space is also available for a 12-metre (39-foot) daughtercraft, which is to be launched and recovered via a dedicated davit.
Flexible hybrid propulsion setup optimised for navigation and operation alongside turbines
The hybrid diesel-electric propulsion arrangement includes four MAN methanol-ready engines and a Vard battery pack. These drive two aft azimuthing thrusters, two forward azimuthing thrusters and a forward tunnel thruster, thus providing improved manoeuvrability. The thrusters were all supplied by Brunvoll.
An energy management system from Vard ensures optimum power distribution from the batteries while a comprehensive electronics package from Vard Electro integrates energy, automation and control systems to ensure smarter operations.
Accommodation is available for 120 crewmembers. The interior spaces are kept comfortable with the aid of an HVAC-R system supplied by Vard Interiors.
A location management system from ScanReach will enable real-time tracking of all personnel on board, thus significantly improving response times during emergencies or muster activities.
Windward Athens is now being prepared to service and support offshore wind projects in Europe. The vessel is currently being readied for her first charter with German energy company RWE, which will commence immediately and mark the beginning of Windward Offshore’s operational activities.
Vard will build three other CSOVs from the same series for Windward Offshore.
