Corvus energy storage system for Taiwanese SOV

Vard Electro has selected Corvus Energy to supply lithium-ion battery-based Energy Storage System (ESS) for the service operations vessel (SOV) being built for Ørsted’s Greater Changhua 1 and 2a wind farms in Taiwan.

The SOV is of VARD 4 19 design developed for the complicated and harsh environment in the Taiwan Strait.

Currently under construction at Vard Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam, the vessel will be the first SOV to be built in accordance with the Taiwanese flag and class.

Corvus Energy will deliver an air-cooled Corvus Orca ESS for the SOV. The batteries will be installed as part of Vard’s Sea-Q system onboard the vessel.

“The potential for fuel and emission savings in offshore operation is high due to the vessel’s high variations in load and high demand for redundancy. We expect the growing wind market to be an important arena for energy storage solutions and further development of green technology in the years to come,” said Christian Søvik, Senior Vice President Sales at Corvus Energy. 

Back in April, Ørsted and the Taiwanese shipping company Ta San Shang Marine signed a 15-year charter contract for the SOV. Ta San Shang Marine subsequently selected Vard to build the 85-metre vessel.

Once delivered in early 2022, the SOV will operate out of the Port of Taichung and be used for the operation & maintenance (O&M) of the 900 MW project.

The vessel will be able to accommodate up to 60 technicians and 27 crew. It will feature a motion-compensated gangway, a dynamic positioning system, and a 3D motion-compensated crane. The propulsion will be hybrid diesel-electric.

Located some 35 to 60 kilometres off Changhua County, the Changhua 1 and 2a wind farms are scheduled to be completed in 2021/22.