Windcat has signed a five-year charter agreement with Dutch offshore wind farm owner Eneco.
The vessel will operate from Ijmuiden, in the Netherlands, and provide access to Eneco’s offshore projects including Prinses Amalia Windpark, Luchterduinen and Hollandse Kust Noord.
The long-term charter will allow safe transport of technicians offshore and decarbonisation of Eneco’s marine logistics.
The first vessel for this charter has been operational since 1 January 2023.
The Windcat 32 dual fuel (hydrogen-ready) vessel will be used for the charter.
The use of hydrogen will be explored for further reduction of emissions from crew transfer vessels. Both Windcat and Eneco prioritise this.
Windcat Managing Director Willem van der Wel said: “With the Hydrocat 48, we invested heavily in emission reduction by using a dual fuel hydrogen engine, one of the reasons Eneco wanted to partner with us.
“We will continue to work on developing the service that meets Eneco’s needs.”
The Windcat 32 will be customised and include the installation of an engine that reduces nitrous oxide emissions.