A subsidiary of Norwegian offshore service provider Integrated Wind Solutions AS (IWS), IWS Fleet, has ordered two more walk-to-work commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) from Hong Kong-based China Merchants Heavy Industry (CHMI).
Scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2024, the firm yard price for the two new CSOVs is about EUR 48 million per vessel.
Following the delivery, IWS will have a fleet of four identical Skywalker class vessels designed purposely to support commissioning works during the construction of wind farms, as well as supporting operations and maintenance during the lifetime of offshore wind farms, both bottom-fixed and floating, the company said.
IWS also has an option agreement for up to two additional vessels with CHMI for potentially the second half 2024 delivery.
In March 2021, IWS signed newbuild contracts for the first two purpose-built, walk-to-work CSOVs with CMHI, through its Oslo-based subsidiary Awind.
The first of the two, IWS Skywalker, secured charter contracts with Dogger Bank Wind Farm in June last year for Dogger Bank A & B. On 21 March, IWS Fleet informed that Dogger Bank Wind Farm expressed their intention to sign another charter contract with the company for one of the IWS Skywalker-class vessels for the third phase of the offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank C.
Steel was recently cut for the second of the first two ordered CSOVs at the CHMI facility in Jiangsu, China.
According to IWS, these hybrid-powered vessels will be among the first in the industry capable of zero-emission operations.
Designed by Kongsberg Maritime, the CSOVs will be equipped with a fully compensated gangway and a 3D crane.