The Ulstein Verft shipyard in Norway has been contracted by Olympic – an operator in the subsea service and renewable energy markets – to build four construction service operation vessels (CSOVs) with hybrid battery propulsion systems. The vessels will also be prepared to run on methanol for zero-emission operations.
The CSOVs will be powered by diesel-electric propulsion with variable speed control and will benefit from large battery energy storage systems with additional space for extra battery capacity to enable fully electric repowering when the infrastructure becomes available.
Olympic’s new vessels are based on the Ulstein SX222 design, which features the Twin X-Stern from Ulstein Design & Solutions. The 89.6m-long hull design and the hybrid propulsion systems will ensure a high level of performance during service and a reduced environmental footprint.
“For us, it will be crucial that the vessels are delivered on time and at the right quality, and this is what Ulstein Verft is known for,” said Stig Remøy, Olympic Group’s CEO. “This means we can meet our customers’ demands and get the vessels into operation at the agreed time. The Twin X-Stern is a smart concept, optimized for low energy consumption. During operation, the offshore wind service vessels stay positioned at the turbines most of the time, and with the main propellers fore and aft, these vessels will reduce the energy requirement to a new level when on DP.”
“We have cooperated closely with Olympic on the details of this project and are very eager to start the new-build project,” added Lars Lühr Olsen, Ulstein Verft’s managing director. “We are very happy with the trust Olympic has placed in us and will do our utmost to deliver the vessels according to the agreed quality and timeline. The vessels are planned for delivery during spring and summer 2024.”