Danish design firm unveils new installation vessel capable of transporting 14MW wind turbines

Danish naval architects Knud E. Hansen have unveiled the first images of a new series of wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV).

The highly-customisable jackup design will be capable of carrying up to four 14MW wind turbines.

The powering of the vessel will be provided by eight generators connected to a DC grid and a battery pack, allowing the engines to run at variable speed for fuel efficiency while also utilising load leveling and peak shaving. The batteries will not only provide instant power, avoiding unnecessary spinning reserve power from the generators, but will also make it possible to recover approximately 60 per cent of the energy used for jacking, when the jacking units are reversed on the way down.

Also, the high-speed electrical rack-and-pinion jacking system is designed for 5,000 load cycles, ensuring that the legs and components will withstand wear throughout the life of the vessel, avoiding costly and resource-heavy replacements along the way.

The main deck of the accommodation block will include an operations centre consisting of offices and meeting rooms as well as a hospital, day room, TV room, change room, and workshop. Above this is a large galley with spacious mess as well as ample provision rooms.

The three decks above will include a total of 114 cabins for contractors, crew, and officers. The top deck will consist of a bridge with centre and wing consoles and a large helicopter deck.

Below the main deck, there will be a gymnasium, cinema, TV room, games room, and sauna as well as a laundry room and store rooms.

The WTIV will have an LOA of 155.4 metres excluding the helideck, a moulded beam of 57.4 metres, a moulded draught of 6.5 metres at 14,000 DWT, and a speed of 12 knots.