NES wins key WindKeeper SOV contract

Written by Nick Blenkey
WindKeeper SWATH SOV

The 57 meter long hybrid diesel-electric WindKeeper SOV will be built to DNV class with Walk to Work and DPS(2) notations

Turkey’s Cemre Shipyard has awarded Norwegian Electric Systems AS (NES) a contract to deliver energy design, and smart control systems for the two innovative WindKeeper Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) ordered at the yard by Norwegian operator GC Rieber.

Based on Small Water Area Twin Hull (SWATH) methodology and design, the WindKeeper is designed to deliver improved operability, ultra-low fuel consumption and the option of fully electric operations in field.

NES’ scope of work is to manage the complete energy design and to act as the system integrator for the vessels’ power system and smart control set-up. NES will supply frequency converters and electric motors for the propulsion system, battery system, transformers, main DC and AC switchboards, integrated automation system, integrated navigation system and dynamic positioning system.

“The primary purpose of tailoring the vessels’ energy design and smart control system is to meet the vessels’ strict requirements for redundancy and, in an extension of this, optimized energy efficiency,” says Egil Bremnes, sales manager at NES. “In turn this translates directly to lower operating costs and emissions to air.”

The unique vessel design requires a power system layout that has a high number of redundancy zones. NES, together with the GC Rieber team, has developed what it calls a “game changing” energy design that can be operated with a minimum of engines running. The degree of safety in combination with minimum fuel consumption is achieved by using an NES portfolio of products, such as ESS, Quadro Master, Odin’s Eye and smart control.

NES will design, assemble, and test the systems at its headquarters at Godvik outside Bergen. The company’s facilities in Egersund and Ålesund will also support the WindKeeper project. Delivery of the equipment is planned for beginning of 2024.

The recently established NES office in Istanbul, Turkey, will contribute with local shipyard support and commissioning.

NES is a subsidiary of HAV Group ASA, which is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo.

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