The first of North Star’s new offshore wind fleet, the Grampian Tyne, has been officially named at a VIP ceremony at Equinor’s Port of Tyne base in the North East of England (UK), ahead of its early handover to the 3600MW Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The traditional good luck celebration, involving the customary champagne bottle being smashed against the hull of the ship, was successfully carried out by the ship’s godmother, Lindsay Gordon, wife of North Star chief executive Matthew Gordon.
The service operation vessel (SOV) is of VARD 4 12-design and is one of four destined for decade-long minimum charters to support O&M work at the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm and its partners Equinor (40%), SSE Renewables (40%), and Vårgrønn (20%).
Once the wind farm is fully completed, it will be the largest in the world, producing enough electricity to power six million British homes.
Matthew Gordon said: “Being able to welcome our clients and esteemed guests onboard the Grampian Tyne in all her glory has been an incredibly proud moment for the entire North Star team and everyone involved in its design and construction.
“The significance of the name is not just a simple nod to the river, but to the people and the community this vessel and wind farm serve.
“We’re extremely proud of the links being built with the local supply chain with a rich history of shipping on this waterway.
“We employ a very talented workforce who have remained completely focused throughout the project management, resulting in the ship being built, sea trialled, and outfitted ahead of time.
“We also work with an incredible local supply chain and look forward to seeing more investment and recruitment opportunities being brought to the area as we continue on our journey to deliver three further ships for Dogger Bank, which will also all be based out of Port of Tyne.”
All three remaining hybrid-electric powered SOV newbuilds, being built by VARD, are on track for being operational at Dogger Bank A, B and C by 2026.
The company’s state-of-the-art design provides high-quality accommodation to offshore wind turbine technicians, as well as a centralised logistics hub configured to handle cargo and act as a functioning warehouse offshore.
Kamala Hajiyeva, head of Dogger Bank development at Equinor, added: “We are thrilled to welcome the new Grampian Tyne service operation vessel to our Operations and Maintenance base here at the Port of Tyne.
“The vessel provides a best in class working and living environment for our offshore wind technicians and team members, ensuring they can carry out essential maintenance safely and comfortably.
“The vessel’s advanced features will also provide essential services to the development of the Dogger Bank wind farm, that when complete in 2026, will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm.”
The Grampian Tyne boasts some of the most innovative technologies in the maritime sector, according to North Star.
This includes medium speed MGO power generation gensets with hybrid battery architecture in-built, coupled with Voith-Schneider eVSP propulsion package to maximise the operating envelope offshore, reduce fuel burn and improve comfort for all on board, it said.
In May, North Star contracted VARD for up to a further four new offshore wind vessels.
The new commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) take the firm a step closer to its ambition of expanding its fleet with 40 renewables fleet by 2040 to support the growing UK and European markets.