Seatrium delivers Maersk Offshore Wind’s innovative WTIV

Written by Nick Blenkey

First-of-its-kind Maersk Offshore wind WTIV is designed for a feeder vessel solution and features a 180-meter hook height crane to support the efficient installation of 15MW+ turbines. [Photo: Seatrium]

Singapore’s Seatrium Limited has now delivered the innovative Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (WTIV) ordered by Maersk Offshore Wind in March 2022 for deployment at the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind farm.

Seatrium and Maersk Offshore Wind resolve WTIV delivery dispute

Delivery came after the resolution of a delivery dispute between Seatrium and the customer (see earlier story) and follows the successful completion of sea trial activities and final readiness evaluations at Seatrium’s flagship Tuas Boulevard Shipyard.

Custom-engineered and built by Seatrium to install some of the world’s largest offshore wind turbines, delivery of the first-of-its-kind WTIV marks the completion of an extensive construction program involving the installation of a 1,900-tonne main crane, precision heavy-lift operations, full system integration, and rigorous validation by leading international classification societies. With a 180-meter hook height, the crane supports the installation of 15 MW+ class turbines.

The vessel’s feeder-based installation design enhances operational efficiency, enabled by a stabilizing system to hold feeder vessels for the transfer of offshore wind components, even in high sea states. This improves installation efficiency by extending the operational weather window, ensuring the WTIV can carry out uninterrupted installations, improving operational efficiency and reducing total cost and time of installation. This feeder-based installation solution is U.S. Jones Act compliant, but an also be deployed in other geographies.

The WTIV is due to sail in March 2026 for its first assignment at Equinor’s Empire Wind project offshore New York, where construction has resumed after a judge granted a preliminary injunction in Equinor’s favor after the company challenged a Trump Administration stop work order,

“This state-of-the-art WTIV represents a major step forward in pushing the possibilities for global offshore wind,” said William Gu, EVP, Seatrium Energy (Marketing). “We are proud to deliver this unique vessel to our partner, Maersk Offshore Wind, to advance the progress of the end customer’s wind farm development. This achievement not only underscores Seatrium’s engineering capabilities, it also reinforces the critical role we play in building the backbone to global offshore wind systems. As the world scales renewable energy at unprecedented speed, we remain dedicated to delivering innovative, future-ready solutions that drive the next generation of offshore wind development.”