Louis Dreyfus Unveils First SOV for Ørsted

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has launched its service operation vessel (SOV) Wind of Change destined to operate for Ørsted.

The 83m long vessel will be used for O&M work on the Borkum Riffgrund 1 & 2 and Gode Wind 1 & 2 offshore wind farms in Germany.

Wind of Change is being built at the Cemre shipyard in Turkey, where it has now entered the final construction phase with delivery expected early in 2019.

The SOV has a draught summer of 5m and features diesel-electric propulsion and dynamic positioning (DP2). It is capable of accommodating more than 60 wind farm technicians.

In April, Ørsted ordered another SOV from the France-based LDA which will be used for its Hornsea Project Two offshore wind farm in the UK. The vessel will also be manufactured at the Cemre shipyard, with delivery scheduled for 2021.

The 450MW Borkum Riffgrund 2 offshore wind project comprises 56 MHI Vestas turbines which delivered first power to the grid this August. It is located next to the 312MW Borkum Riffgrund 1 commissioned in 2015.

Located some 45km off the coast of Lower Saxony, the 582MW Gode Wind 1 & 2 has been in operation since 2017. The wind farm comprises 97 Siemens 6MW turbines, making it one of the largest offshore wind projects in Germany.