GE Orders Merkur SOV

GE Renewable Energy has contracted Bernhard Schulte Offshore to provide a new-build service operation vessel (SOV) for the 396MW Merkur offshore wind farm.

Following the contract, the German company placed an order with Ulstein Verft for the vessel, which will support the maintenance of the wind farm’s 66 Haliade 150-6MW turbines.

The 93.4-meter long SOV is scheduled for delivery in early 2020.

“Ulstein Verft is a very reliable yard and we are eager to start working together with ULSTEIN again. We have worked closely and successfully together on two former projects, and these vessels are operating very good in the field,” said Matthias Müller, Managing Director at Bernhard Schulte.

The SX195-design type vessel was modified to fulfill GE’s requirements and the ship owner’s special choices of mission equipment, Ulstein said.

It will have a centrally positioned walk-to-work motion compensated gangway and elevator tower for personnel and cargo transfers, as well as a 3D compensated crane, and will provide accommodation for 120 persons.

As with the two previous vessels, the SOV will have the X-STERN hull shape, enabling it to be positioned with the stern faced towards the weather, which is said to lead to improved weather resistance, greater operability and reduced power and fuel consumption while on dynamic positioning compared to conventional sterns.