Windcat has signed a contract with Damen Shipyards Group for a new multipurpose accommodation support vessel (MP-ASV), with the option of five additional vessels of this type. To be known as the Innovation Series, the vessels will combine a large open deck with a subsea crane with fuel efficient operations and comfortable, high-quality accommodation for personnel working in the offshore energy sector for extended periods.
The MP-ASVs are a completely new vessel type, built on the success of the previous designs, with increased capabilities and efficiency.
The vessels feature a large 3,981kWh battery pack on a DC grid for low emissions performance. This will enable peak shaving, enabling the variable-speed main engines to operate at their most efficient working point, for example during DP operations, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
A key feature of the Innovation Series vessels is the integration of low-carbon fuels. A dual-fuel hydrogen engine makes it possible to run the auxiliary genset on hydrogen.
The vessels will be equipped with a dynamic positioning system billed as DP2+. In addition to the azimuth thrusters, a tunnel thruster fore and aft will be installed, so that the vessels can continue to operate on DP2 in the event of a thruster failure. This highly innovative feature is extra important when the vessel operates in remote offshore locations.
“Our collaboration with Windcat is a good example of the way that Damen works. Together with clients who share our values and ambitions, we seek to innovate next-generation solutions, setting new standards in safety, efficiency and sustainability,” said Damen sales manager Joost van der Weiden. “I am looking forward to our continuing cooperation with Windcat as we develop the Innovation Series in the years ahead.”
“Today we introduce a new vessel type, not only to our fleet, but also to the market,” added Willem van der Wel, managing director at Windcat. “We take the best of two worlds: we combine the benefits of a large deck and crane of an MPSV with the comfortable offshore accommodation of an ASV. Through collaboration with customers and suppliers and constant evolution, we have remained at the forefront of the offshore energy industry, always putting our customers’ needs first. By building this new type of vessel, with an emphasis on comfort, performance and decarbonization, we are ensuring that we can continue to safely and effectively support tomorrow’s offshore projects around the world.”
Damen is planning to commence construction of the first MP-ASV in February 2026, with delivery expected in 2028. The MP-ASVs will be built at the Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam.
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