Njord Offshore Ltd has secured a contract to manage a new purpose-built service accommodation and transfer vessel (SATV) for Siemens Gamesa at the Formosa 1 offshore wind project in Taiwan.
The 35m long SATV will be operated from the port of Taichung during the O&M phase of the wind project scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2019.
According to the UK-based company, the vessel is capable of staying offshore for at least seven days and offers 12 single cabins for the industrial personnel. It will be registered under the Taiwan Flag and manned by Taiwanese crew trained by Njord Offshore.
“The award of the SATV contract marks a significant milestone in expanding our footprint in the offshore wind market. The SATV offers a new logistical model which will enable technicians to be accommodated offshore and also transfer directly onto the turbines like our existing crew transfer vessels without the need for an expensive gangway system which will ultimately save time and money for our client,” said Tom Mehew , Managing Director of Njord Offshore.
“This charter is an exciting opportunity to leverage our existing offshore wind experience and combine it with our Asian partner’s locality, workforce and language skills. We are looking forward to working alongside Siemens Gamesa and will be supporting localisation in Taiwan.”
The first phase of the Formosa 1 project is already operational with two Siemens Gamesa SWT-4.0-130 turbines generating a capacity of 8MW. A second phase is being developed and will feature 20 Siemens Gamesa SWT-6.0-154 turbines, adding 120MW of capacity.
“With the SATV, we’re offering a new offshore wind service solution which demonstrates our commitment to meeting our customers’ needs and reducing the cost of energy from offshore wind power,” said Rene Wigmans , Head of Maritime and Aviation Solutions from the Siemens Gamesa Service Business Unit.
“The vessel concept fits the bill perfectly for projects like Formosa 1: a full 40-person Service Operation Vessel would be oversized, and standard Crew Transfer Vessels which must sail in to port every night would be undersized. The SATV also allows us to safely and efficiently make the most of the challenging tidal conditions that are found in the Taiwan Strait.”