Louis Dreyfus Armateurs orders two new CTVs at Strategic

Image: Louis Dreyfus Armateurs

Expanding its crew transfer vessel fleet from five CTVs to seven, France’s Louis Dreyfus Armateurs has placed an order at Strategic Marine for two sister ships to its Esti’Vent and Acti’Vent, both of which are based on the BMT StratCat 27 design.

Technical characteristics of the CTVs are:

• Length: 27 meters
• 3 crew members
• Operability: min. 1.75 m Hs
• 24 technicians
• Max speed: 26+ knots

The two new CTVs are expected to be delivered early 2025.

Currently, LD Tide, a joint venture between Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and Tidal Transit, is managing a fleet of five CTVs. Three of these vessels are dedicated to the St-Nazaire offshore wind farm, serving EDF EN and GE Vernova, while Acti’Vent is used to transport maintenance technicians to and from the Fécamp offshore wind farm for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Esti’Vent is operating in the growing spot market to support the installation phase of offshore wind farms.

LDA says the decision to expand its CTV fleet comes at a time when numerous offshore wind farms are being developed in France, with more projects planned for the coming years. This expansion is primarily aimed at meeting the increasing demand for CTVs, particularly during the construction and commissioning phases of offshore wind projects.

Gaël Cailleaux, the renewables managing director at Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, said: “These new orders are part of the strategy to expand our offshore renewables business in France and Europe. We are anticipating the future needs of the rapidly evolving French offshore wind industry.”