First X-Stern Enters Service in North Sea Wind Farm

WIndea La Cour. Photo: Bernhard Schulte Offshore

The new Service Operations Vessel (SOV) Windea La Cour, the first vessel to feature the X-Stern hull, has commenced working in the 600 megawatt Gemini wind farm in the Netherlands for Siemens Wind Power Service.

The new vessel, owned by Bernhard Schulte Offshore, is working in support of the ongoing service and maintenance of 150 Siemens wind turbines at the offshore project located in the North Sea.

See Also: Ulstein’s X-STERN

The vessel functions as platform for wind farm operations and maintenance support, technician accommodation and transport, and the provision of exceptional levels of safe reliable access to installations offshore. It is the first to feature the innovative X-Stern hull, developed by Norwegian shipbuilding group Ulstein, which uses a pointed stern instead of a conventional transom (flat) stern. According to Ulstein, this results in increased station keeping, reduced wave response, improved crew safety and comfort, and reduced power consumption.

After delivery of the vessel to Siemens in August, the vessel’s warehouse was loaded with spare parts, and the Siemens SCADA system was installed in the offices on board to monitor and remotely control the wind turbines.

“As the global leader in offshore wind service and the first company to deploy purpose-built SOVs, Siemens is dedicated to the development of innovative offshore service logistics that support efforts to bring down the costs associated with wind energy. We are delighted to be the first to charter this innovative new service operations vessel as we begin service operations at the Gemini wind farm in the Dutch part of the North Sea,” said René Cornelis Wigmans, Head of Maritime and Aviation Solutions, Siemens Wind Power Service.

The vessel is the first of two SOVs built at Ulstein Verft in Norway, which Bernhard Schulte Offshore will deliver to Siemens.

Main particulars of Windea La Cour:

• Length: 88 m
• Breadth: 18 m
• Speed: 13.5 knots
• Accommodation: 60 people 

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