First X-Stern hull arrives at Ulstein Verft

JANUARY 6, 2016 — The hull of the first of two innovative offshore wind industry Service Operation Vessels (SOV) arrived at Ulstein’s Ulsteinvik shipyard, Norway, January 3, from Poland.

The vessels are being built for Germany’s Bernhard Schulte Offshore GmbH and will be Ulstein’s first for the offshore wind industry — and the first to feature its innovative X-Stern (see earlier story).

A vessel with the X-Stern can be positioned with the stern faced towards the weather instead of the bow, leading to improved weather resistance, greater operability and reduced power and fuel consumption while on DP mode. It is a further development of Ulstein’s X-Bow.

During the coming months, the newly delivered SOV hull will be outfitted and get its final coating, before sea trials start in the late spring. Starting this summer, the vessel will work at the Gemini wind farm in the Netherlands for Siemens Wind Power Service.

Main particulars: Length 88 m, breadth 18 m, speed 13.5 knots and accommodations for 60 people.

Photographs: Roy Lindset