The Zhi Cheng 60 and Zhi Zhen 100 at ZPMC's Qidong shipyard in China. Photo courtesy Ulstein
Shanghai Electric celebrated the naming and delivery of two Service Operation Vessels at ZPMC’s Qidong Marine Engineering shipyard, marking a milestone as these are the first purpose-built vessels for China’s offshore wind industry,
The new SOVs by Ulstein Design & Solutions AS feature the X-BOW and X-STERN designs, which enhance seakeeping by reducing slamming and vibrations, improving safety, comfort, station keeping, wave response, and operability in rough seas.
The Zhi Cheng 60, an ULSTEIN SX197 design, is 72.6 meters long and 17.5 meters wide, accommodating 60 people with a 400 square meter deck. The Zhi Zhen 100, based on the ULSTEIN SX195 design, is 93.4 meters long and 18 meters wide, housing 100 people with a 620 square meter deck.
The vessels are equipped with advanced technology, including a battery energy storage system, a DC-based Common Main Drive System, DP2 dynamic positioning systems, walk-to-work gangways, offshore cranes, and high-speed daughter crafts to enhance wind turbine maintenance operations.
The SOVs are designed to improve service operations at offshore wind farms in China, focusing on construction support and operations & maintenance, with an emphasis on technician safety, efficient logistics, and comfortable working environments.
Liu Xiangnan of Shanghai Electric touted Ulstein’s market leadership, expertise, and collaboration with ZPMC as key reasons for choosing their design for offshore wind projects. “Shanghai Electric is the leading provider of offshore wind turbines in China. With these two world-class SOVs, we believe we can bring more value to our clients and provide a safer working environment to our colleagues at sea,” he said.
Managing Director Runar Muren of Ulstein Design & Solutions commented that the company’s collaboration with the ZPMC shipyard dates back to 2012. “We firmly believe that the vessels will be important assets in the sustainable development of the domestic offshore wind industry in China,” said Muren.
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