Firms team up to build new vessel designs

Siemens Gamesa and Amasus Offshore will work with Deugro to bring two newbuilds to market.

Rotra Futura and Rotra Horizon will be customised for carrying offshore wind turbine components and will be operated under a long-term charter agreement between the two firms.

They will be built on the basis of the designs of existing vessels Rotra Mare and Rotra Vente, which Deugro says use a unique RoRo and gantry system that reduces risk, loading time and costs.

“The new vessels have been designed to accommodate the increasing size and weight of the next generations of offshore wind turbine components and, at the same time, to ensure best-in-class cargo intake and operational flexibility,” said Hans Henrik Groen, branch manager and managing director of Deugro. “Being and staying at the forefront of wind energy industry requirements build the base of our joint success.”

Rotra Future and Horizon will be 167.6m x 26m, with a stern RoRo ramp, three Liebherr cranes and the gantry system, which allows turbine blades to be stowed in three tiers.

“Energy consumption has been reduced thanks to an aerodynamically and hydro-optimised hull shape, a low-resistance special hull coating and a Wärtsilä engine 15% lower consumption compared to today’s standards,” said Groen.

A hybrid propulsion system and exhaust-cleaning system that meet IMO Tier III standards have also been integrated into the vessels, along with waste heat recovery.

“With our record order backlog, we will be installing a significant number of wind turbines at sea globally, with increasingly larger and more complex components,” said Christian Johansen, global commodity manager for Ports & Transportation with Siemens Gamesa. “With this agreement, we have taken another important step towards securing our ability to execute projects safely, on time and at the right cost level.”

The two vessels will be built at Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard in China and are scheduled for delivery in spring and summer of 2025.