North Star has secured its first contract for a commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV), a second award with EnBW, further establishing the company’s presence in the European offshore wind sector.
This award for the newbuild Grampian Kestrel CSOV (of VARD 4 22 design), will precede the decade-long minimum charter contract the firm signed in February to provide a SOV (of VARD 407 design) for the German energy utility firm’s He Dreiht wind farm in the North Sea.
With a total installed output of 960MW, the development is currently one of Europe’s largest energy transition projects and will be able to supply 1.1 million households with renewable energy.
From the end of next year, 64 wind turbines with an installed output of 15 MW each around 90 kilometers northwest of the island of Borkum and 110km west of Helgoland will be connected to the grid.
Tailored for the commissioning phase, Grampian Kestrel will offer essential accommodation and logistics to support the construction and commissioning works in 2025. Following this period, it will lead EnBW’s operations and maintenance activities until the newbuild SOV is delivered in Q3 2026.
North Star CEO Matthew Gordon said: “Securing this commissioning vessel contract with EnBW highlights our strategic move to broaden our hybrid SOV services aligned to the European renewables market. It also demonstrates our ability to meet the unique demands of large-scale projects like EnBW’s He Dreiht wind farm.”
The CSOV is part of North Star’s growing fleet and the company aims to add 40 SOVs by 2040, all equipped with accessibility to enable commissioning and maintenance operations, and feature the latest hull design optimised for low fuel consumption and resistance, as well as high operability and comfort.
