SMST Equipment for Deutsche Offshore’s C-CSOV Fleet

SMST will supply mission equipment for the construction-commissioning service operation vessels (C-CSOVs) that will be operated by Deutsche Offshore, a joint venture between Schoeller Holdings and Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt (DOS).

For the new vessels, the Dutch vessel equipment provider will supply its Telescopic Access Bridge (TAB-L2) gangway system as well as the 50-tonne Offshore Knuckle Boom Crane (KBC-L) with 3D Motion compensating capability.

“Crane and gangway will have the single most important influence on the performance of our vessels of any component on board. Therefore, we have conducted a very careful and thorough selection process for our Mission Equipment”, said Johannes Wolters, Managing Director at Deutsche Offshore.

SMST says that its TAB-L2 gangway system on the C-CSOVs will have “the greatest height flexibility in the market”, with the tower offering an 18-metre vertical stroke, allowing the vessels to have 100 per cent horizontal access as low as 12 metres and as high as 30 metres above waterline. The 3-tonne 3D-compensated crane functionality will grant the vessel additional flexibility and redundancy in operation, the equipment provider says.

Deutsche Offshore has also chosen to equip the TAB-L2 with automatic landing functionality and a condition-based monitoring system (CBM). 

The knuckle boom crane, KBC-L, has been designed specifically for the C-CSOVs and will, in construction configuration, have a 50-tonne AHC lift, enabling the vessels to take on additional tasks in building offshore wind farms compared to other CSOV designs, SMST says. In 3D motion compensation configuration, the crane will offer the capability to lift 10 tonnes to 30-metre heights.

“This dual-purpose functionality maximizes the flexibility of the entire vessels, ensuring safe transfer of cargo in varying operations. A live collision avoidance system will furthermore support the operators in ensuring safe and reliable operations”, the company said.

Deutsche Offshore was established in 2023 by Cypris-based Schoeller Holdings and Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt (German Offshore Shipping).

In September last year, Deutsche Offshore ordered four C-CSOVs from CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, a China State Shipbuilding Group company, for delivery beginning in early 2027.