Dutch duo do workboat deal at EWEA
Damen’s Fast Crew Supplier 2610 design has already transferred engineers to offshore wind turbines in wave heights of 1.9m.
Dutch companies Damen Shipyards and SeaZip Offshore Service signed a contract at the EWEA exhibition and conference in Amsterdam on this month for two Fast Crew Suppliers of the 2610 type.
The first ever FCS 2610 was delivered early 2011 and offers reduced peak accelerations of up to 75%, reduced added resistance in waves of up to 60% and has already transferred maintenance crew to offshore wind turbines in wave heights of 1.9 m.
Jan Reier Arends, one of Seazip’s managing directors, signed the contract with Roel van Eijle, sales manager Benelux, on the first day of the 2011 Offshore conference of the European Wind Energy Association. The vessels will be built at Damen Shipyards Singapore and delivery is set for the third quarter of 2012.
Offshore wind is rapidly becoming a highly specialized field in offshore operations. As the need for specialized services grows, there is a need for fit for purpose service vessels, which is why Mr Arends and Mr Sander Schakelaar, managing owners of the established container transport company JR Shipping, founded SeaZip Offshore Service in 2010. SeaZip will draw on the 18 years of experience gained at JR Shipping, including vessel development and management.
The two entrepreneurs have a clear goal to provide service vessels for fast and safe access to offshore sites. In their effort to deliver ‘outstanding and safe performance in even the most challenging of circumstances’, they teamed-up with Damen Shipyards. The FCS 2610, already in use at offshore wind farms, matched Seazip´s requirements regarding safety, transport capacity, comfort, and performance levels in harsh weather conditions.
Another argument is that offshore wind farms are being built at ever increasing distances from the shore, impairing continuity in operations and maintenance. The FCS 2610 can overcome these challenges as it has a range over 1,000 nm, a 20,000 litre fuel tank (for both sailing and fuel transfer) and accommodation for four crew and 12 engineers.
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