RWE has signed long-term charter and reservation agreements with North Star for a total of four service operation vessels to support maintenance of offshore wind farms in the UK and Germany.
The Grampian Eagle will be chartered for 12 years to serve the 857MW Triton Knoll wind farm off the British coast, while the Grampian Kestrel will support German sites north of Heligoland under a 10-year contract.
Both vessels were built in 2025 and are capable of using low-emission alternative fuels. RWE holds options to extend both charters by up to three years.
To ensure continuous service until the new vessels are deployed, Windward Offshore will supply two interim vessels through to the end of 2026.
The SOVs provide onboard accommodation for technicians and feature walk-to-work gangways designed for safe transfers in rough sea conditions.
RWE offshore wind COO Thomas Michel said: “Through this long-term partnership, RWE is taking a strategic step by securing next generation service operations vessels against the backdrop of a tight market.”
“This is an important enabler for RWE to deliver best-in-class performance across our existing operational fleet, as well as for future projects.”
In addition to the charters, RWE and North Star have signed reservation agreements for two further newbuild SOVs to support RWE’s fleet from 2028 and 2029. These vessels will be constructed by Norwegian shipbuilder Vard.
North Star CEO Gitte Gard Talmo said: “We are proud to secure agreements for four state-of-the-art vessels and grateful for the trust put in us by RWE.”
“This landmark deal is the beginning of a strategic partnership between two industry leaders, built on early engagement, mutual trust and shared ambitions.”
North Star, backed by private markets firm Partners Group, is the UK’s largest owner-operator of offshore service vessels.
RWE said the agreements would help ensure safe, low-emission and efficient operations across its growing European offshore wind portfolio.