Alicat Workboats will build two more vessels designed by Chartwell for North Star’s renewables fleet, the companies announced at the Seawork conference this week.It brings the total number of builds by Alicat to four.
North Star’s Andrew Duncan shaking hands with Alicat’s Simon Coote, flanked either side by Chartwell Marine’s Guido De Mola on the left and Andy Page on the right.
The £2 million (€2.3 million) contract is for vessels operating at the 3.6GW Dogger Bank wind farm, off the coast of northeastern England, which when completed in 2026 will be the largest wind farm in the world at current levels.
In September Alicat won a contract to build two initial daughter crafts for North Star. The hybrid design is being touted as a ‘game changing’ design by Chartwell Marine, with its combination of diesel and electric outboard propulsion a first for the offshore wind market.
”North Star’s first fleet purpose built for offshore wind operations and maintenance support is being delivered to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm partners Equinor, SSE Renewables and Eni Plenitude, from February next year,” says the company.
”The full tonnage package includes four of North Star’s unique hybrid-powered service operation vessels. These ships provide state-of-the-art comfort and accommodation for wind farm technicians working in field and encompass the latest green technologies to integrate and futureproof for zero emission fuels in the future.”
“We have been working very closely with Alicat since the first Chartwell design daughter craft award 10 months ago, and they have really impressed us with their knowledge, workmanship, and ‘can-do’ attitude which has resulted in some significant enhancements and efficiencies,” said Andrew Duncan, Renewables Director at North Star.
”We have worked together for example on the interface of the daughter craft to the SOV power grid preboarding to charge the hybrid packs, power HVAC systems and spin the daughter craft’s gyroscope stabiliser technology prior to technicians boarding for efficiency and daily operational readiness.
“Collaborating this way allows us to always be pushing the envelope for our clients and delivering best in-class ships and solutions to support wind farm operators across Europe.”
The Dogger Bank wind farm is being built in three phases: A, B and C, each aiming to deliver 1.2GW of electricity generation.
Power is anticipated to be generated in Q3 202
North Star’s Andrew Duncan shaking hands with Alicat’s Simon Coote, flanked either side by Chartwell Marine’s Guido De Mola on the left and Andy Page on the right
