Advertisement

Ulstein develops foundation installation vessel

The significant shortage of foundation installation vessels as projected by market analysts and brokers calls for immediate action.

To provide for tomorrow’s needs in offshore wind, and building on decades of a proven track record in heavy lift vessel design, Ulstein has expanded its portfolio with the ULSTEIN HX122 design.

The design features an ULSTEIN X-BOW® and an ultra-high-capacity crane, enabling operators and contractors to efficiently transport and install monopiles or jacket foundations up to 5,000 tons.

New foundation installation tonnage is quickly needed, but as stated by Clarksons Platou Securities at the 2022 Offshore Wind Journal Conference, this part of the market is “the most under-ordered segment in offshore wind”.

“We identified and addressed that issue already some years ago”, says Nick Wessels, Marketing & Sales Manager at Ulstein Design & Solutions BV. “Based on extensive market studies we developed what we believe is the most efficient solution for the industry; the ULSTEIN HX118 design”.

“However, the quick developments in this industry create uncertainty with wind farm developers, where we see for some future projects the preference to install even larger foundations up to 5,000 ton. Hence the need for a larger capacity vessel,” states Wessels

“Significant R&D effort has been put into the development of our heavy lift vessel portfolio, working closely with industry partners on mission equipment integration, operability performance and lowering CO2 emissions, creating safer and more efficient installation vessels using proven technologies,” comments Ko Stroo, Product Manager at Ulstein Design & Solutions BV.

“The ULSTEIN HX122 is our latest and largest heavy lift vessel design, allowing contractors to keep pace with the rapid growth of wind turbine foundations.”

Main dimensions of the ULSTEIN HX122 are:
Loa                                230.0 m
Beam                               61.6 m
Crane capacity               8,000 mt
Deck area                    10,000 m2
Deck strength               15 – 30 t/m2
Draught                        7.5 – 11.0 m
Complement                  180 persons

Ships Montly - January 2024

Cutting costs in W2W operations: A new approach to vessel design

Offshore wind farms are currently serviced using Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) or helicopters for day operations, and Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) for extended periods. What...
Advertisement

Related articles

Cutting costs in W2W operations: A new approach to vessel design

Offshore wind farms are currently serviced using Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) or helicopters for day operations, and Service...

Windermere Lake Cruises’ oldest vessel is back in action

MV Tern, the oldest vessel in Windermere Lake Cruises 16-strong fleet, is proving age is no object as...

Significant increase in imports through the Port of Gothenburg

2024 was a year with both ups and downs in cargo volumes for Scandinavia’s largest port. On the...

Viking Line, Turku and Stockholm celebrate a year of a green shipping corridor

Viking Line, Port of Turku and Ports of Stockholm have been working together for a year on a...