GC Rieber Shipping has confirmed a steel-cutting ceremony has taken place for its first ‘Windkeeper’ service operation vessel (SOV)
* An order from Norway to Cemre Shipyard
The steel-cutting for the purpose-designed offshore wind vessel took place at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey.
The ‘WindKeeper’ design departs from convention, having a small water area twin hull (SWATH) rather than a monohull, an especially stable design with excellent seakeeping that will also provide enhanced operability.
The design is also characterised by “ultra-low fuel consumption and the option of fully electric operation in the field.”
The SWATH hullform has been applied in several other applications – and selected by another SOV owner, DEME Offshore, for its SOV Groenewind, which was recently sold to Cyan Renewables – and is a proven method for reducing vessel motions.
The design was model-tested at MARIN in the Netherlands and SINTEF in Norway. Its reduced motions enhances crew comfort and reduces the incidence of seasickness.
GC Rieber Shipping chief technology officer Gjert Florvåg said, “GC Rieber Shipping’s combination of operational experience and extensive inhouse expertise in marine architecture and project management has allowed us to tailor the Windkeeper to the requirements of the offshore wind sector. It is great to see years of development and innovation coming into life.”
The company said the Windkeeper’s seakeeping capabilities will “deliver a step change in gangway operability, comfort for technicians and environmental performance.”
