Aberdeen firm, North Star, has awarded a £2 million contract to Alicat Workboats for the construction of two new daughter crafts to join its renewables fleet.
The Chartwell-designed vessels are bound for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, on course to be the largest of its kind in the world, on the north-east coast of England next year.
Alicat Workboats won a competitive tender to build an initial two daughter vessels last year. These are powered by a game-changing hybrid-powered system, developed by leading sustainable naval architect Chartwell Marine, in collaboration with North Star.
Alicat director Simon Coote said: “This commitment from North Star helps to sustain our business for a further two years, creating new employment opportunities and securing our workforce for the long term.”
The Renewables Fleet
The partnership with Chartwell Marine and the Aberdeen-based firm has resulted in the construction of high-performance vessels that combine diesel and electric outboard propulsion, a first for the offshore wind market.
© Supplied by North StarThe four-ship fleet of service operation vessels (SOVs), provides state-of-the-art comfort and accommodation for wind farm technicians working in the field and encompasses the latest green technologies to integrate and futureproof for zero-emission fuels in the future.
Andrew Duncan, renewables director at North Star said: “As the UK’s largest offshore infrastructure support vessel operator, we have a proven track record of successfully delivering multiple new build projects simultaneously and therefore we have incredibly high standards for those we engage with to help achieve and maintain this.”
© Supplied by AibelPurpose-built for offshore wind operations and maintenance, the fleet is set to be delivered to Dogger Bank partners Equinor, SSE Renewables and Eni, in February 2023. The four vessels, designed to Chartwell Daughter Craft specifications, will support operations with the safe transfer of maintenance technicians and equipment between the SOVs and wind turbines at Dogger Bank during phases A, B, and C, providing further flexibility in the field when it comes to personnel deployment and logistics.
Steve Wilson, project director for Dogger Bank, said: “It’s great to see North Star strengthening our future operational fleet with additional daughter craft from Alicat, while supporting new job opportunities with the Great Yarmouth-based marine specialist. Our vessels will be critical to the safe and efficient operation of the world’s largest offshore wind farm when they enter service from next year onwards.”
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