DEME takes delivery of its first-ever SOV

Cemre Shipyard has delivered Groene Wind, DEME’s first-ever service operations vessel (SOV), to its owner.

“DEME’s first dedicated and world’s first SWATH type service operation vessel Groenewind that will serve 3 different windfarm sites is delivered to her client”, the Turkish shipbuilder said via social media on 6 June.

Groene Wind (green wind) features a Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) design making the vessel the first DP2, twin-hulled SOV in the world.

The 60-metre SOV, equipped with a motion compensated gangway and daughter craft, can accommodate up to 24 technicians and a nautical crew, and is expected to enable crew transfers in significant wave heights of up to 2.5 metres.

The vessel has been directly chartered to Siemens Gamesa for maintenance activities at the Rentel and SeaMade offshore wind farms in Belgium. According to DEME, Groene Wind is the first SOV to serve three different wind farm sites, as the SeaMade offshore wind project comprises Seastar and Mermaid offshore wind farms.

The Rentel offshore wind farm, located some 40 kilometres off the coast of Oostende, comprises 42 Siemens Gamesa 7.35 MW wind turbines, which have been in operation since January 2019.

The 487 MW SeaMade comprises the 252 MW Seastar and the 235 MW Mermaid offshore wind projects, which feature 58 Siemens Gamesa 8.4 MW turbines.