French marine transport company Louis Dreyfus Armateurs has launched a service operations vessel (SOV) for Orsted that will service and maintain the 1400MW Hornsea 2 offshore wind farm off the east coast of England.
The Wind of Hope SOV was launched at the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey, where it is being built for the vessel owner.
Wind of Hope is expected to arrive at Orsted’s east coast operations and maintenance facility at the UK port of Grimsby next year.
Hornsea 2 head of operations Morten Holm said: “We’re extremely pleased to be able to reach this exciting milestone for the wind farm.
“Technicians will spend two weeks at a time onboard this vessel as they live, eat and sleep onboard whilst working offshore.
“The Wind of Hope has been designed with comfort and practicality in mind and we look forward to welcoming her to her new home in Grimsby.”
The vessel is 84 metres long, has a breadth of 19.4 metres and can accommodate up to 90 people including 64 wind farm technicians.
It is fitted with a motion compensated gangway to allow technicians to walk-to-work from the ship directly onto the transition piece of the turbine they are required to access.
An onboard helideck enables crew and cargo transfers to take place.
Louis Dreyfus Armateurs deputy chief executive Kamil Beffa said: “We are delighted to reach a turning point in the construction of this second SOV dedicated to Orsted’s Hornsea 2 wind farm.
“It means a lot to our marine industrial solutions strategy as a partner of the Danish wind energy leader.
“It is also an exciting commitment in favour of clean and renewable energy and our continued focus on safety and environmental footprint with innovative ship designs.”