James Fisher’s SMV 24 Vessel Completes Charters at Round 3 Sites

James Fisher Marine Service (JFMS) has successfully completed the Supacat Multi-purpose Vessel (SMV) 24 maiden charter and immediate subsequent charter at UK Round Three wind farm sites.

The vessel accomplished its first charter working with offshore wind energy developer Forewind to support the Dogger Bank development, and the second charter was to RES Offshore delivering services to Hornsea wind farm. Both projects delivered support to critical metrological masts for the Round Three wind farm sites, transferring crew and equipment to carry out installation and maintenance activities.

The projects saw the offshore support vessel travelling up to 100 nautical miles offshore – 50 miles within its radius of safe return. Andy Nattrass, marine operations project manager at JFMS said: “The vessel has been specifically designed as a multi-role vessel enabling us to provide a wide range of support during construction and operations and maintenance activities to our customers in the offshore industry. The successful completion of these first projects is down to the vessels capabilities, with a key underpinning of JFMS’s continued commitment to provide innovative solutions to the industry’s needs.”

The SMV 24 vessel sets a new standard within the industry as it’s the only vessel of its kind in the UK. With its capacity to deliver support to round three renewable projects and carry up to 30 tonnes of cargo, its operational efficiency and ability to be mobilised anywhere around the UK is un-matched.

Chris Holden, offshore operations manager at RES, who chartered the vessel for the Hornsea project commented by saying: “James Fisher Marine Services have taken offshore vessel chartering to the next level. The vessel proved itself to be capable of transporting the engineers and equipment over 150 miles from the Port of Grimsby East. It is likely that RES will look to charter the vessel again in the near future to support other projects requiring overnight accommodation and the facility to carry our tools and equipment.”

“This cost-effective solution will trigger a high demand for the vessel and also re-define expectations from our customers,” added Andy.

Jim Hey, managing director of JFMS, commented on the expected high-demand and also complimented what has been achieved since the launch of the vessel: “The purchase was completed on Monday (14 April) and the vessel swiftly set sail on Wednesday to its first project, which is testament to its unique capabilities, our staff and also JFMS’s ability to deliver under challenging timescales.”

Press release, April 29, 2014; Image: James Fisher