An installation specialist's newest cable laying vessel has begun undergoing sea trials while two construction support ships are en route to Norway for final outfitting. A Finnish and Spanish collaboration has unveiled concept designs of new monopile and turbine installation jackups. Lastly, a Norwegian firm has been selected for the design of new construction vessels.
Finnish naval architecture firm Deltamarin and Spanish counterpart Offshoretronic have entered into an exclusive engineering consultant agreement to develop what the two companies said will be the world’s largest jackup monopile and wind turbine installation vessels.
Under the agreement, Deltamarin and Offshoretronic will further develop the installation vessel to a so-called shipyard-ready status.
The vessel will be designed to be capable of installing 20-30MW wind turbines, which the two companies expect will enter commercial service by 2030.
These turbines will be deployed in water depths ranging from 30 to 60 metres, thus necessitating monopile foundations measuring 100 to 130 metres in length and 12 to 16 metres in outer diameter as well as weighing up to 5,000 tonnes.
A new offshore construction vessel (OCV) ordered by Taiwanese operator Dong Fang Offshore was recently launched in Romania and will soon be transported to Norway to undergo final outfitting.
Upon completion, Orient Trailblazer will support subsea operations, offshore wind activities, and cable installation. She will measure 121.3 metres by 23 metres and will have accommodation for up to 130 people.
The vessel's hull was built by Vard Shipyards Romania while outfitting and delivery will take place later at Vard Søviknes in Norway.
Delivery is scheduled for early in the second quarter of 2027.
Jan De Nul's newest cable laying vessel recently began undergoing sea trials.
Fleeming Jenkin measures 215 metres long and will be able to transport 28,000 tonnes of cables. Jan De Nul said this will make the vessel and her sister William Thomson the largest capacity cable laying vessels in the world.
The specialised technology on both vessels was designed by Jan De Nul's in-house specialists to facilitate cable laying in both shallow and ultra-deep waters up to 3,000 metres.
The vessels will also be able to handle cable tensions of up to 150 tonnes.
Norway's Sirius Design and Integration has entered into an agreement for the design of two large construction support vessels (CSVs) to be built by Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding in China.
The contract covers two firm vessels, with options for up to two additional units. Sirius said the customer remains an undisclosed player in the energy sector.
The vessels have been developed in close cooperation with the customer. Sirius said they are based on the company's CSV design platform and developed for demanding operations and with a strong focus on operational flexibility, energy efficiency, and future-ready solutions.
Sirius will deliver the conceptual design and complete basic design package.
A new commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) ordered by Norwind Offshore has arrived in Norway following completion of her hull at Vard Shipyards Romania.
Norwind Marin is the latest example of a series built by Vard for the same owner. The vessel's design was developed by Vard Design of Alesund to be capable of a broad range of offshore windfarm support operations, focusing on onboard logistics, security, comfort, and enhanced operability.
The CSOV is tailor-made for worldwide services, support, and maintenance operations at offshore wind farms. She is also prepared to accommodate battery packs, allowing modification for hybrid operations.
