NOV Joins Crew on New OHT Wind Turbine Installation Vessel

China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) has awarded NOV with a contract to design and supply equipment for OHT’s new wind turbine installation vessel.

Through its wholly-owned subsidiary VIND Offshore Installation 1, OHT signed the complete shipbuilding contract with CMHI in October 2020.

The jack-up vessel, referred to as VIND 1, and its sister vessel VIND 2 are of the GustoMSC NG-14000XL-G design.

The design is said to be specifically tailored to create a next-generation offshore wind installation unit with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.

The vessel will incorporate a proprietary GustoMSC heavy lift crane with a maximum lifting height of up to 165 m above deck.

It is designed with an optimal hull shape, battery hybrid solutions, and an electrical control system to reduce emissions by 20% compared with similar-sized installation vessels. To further reduce the carbon footprint, the vessel is prepared for the use of fuel cells powered by hydrogen, NOV said.

CMHI will construct the vessel in Jiangsu and is expected to deliver it to OHT in the first half of 2023.