ABS grants AiP for advanced Wind Turbine Transport Vessel design

JANUARY 15, 2019 — Rostock, Germany, headquartered Neptun Ship Design has been granted ABS Approval in Principal (AiP) for its Blue Azurit Wind Turbine Transport Vessel design, the first to support transporting parts for turbines greater than 9 Mega Watts (MW).

The 178 m long Blue Azurit design allows wind turbine manufacturers to produce full length welded towers ready for installation. The energy-efficient vessel is designed to pick up components direct from the supplier’s berth, transport parts to an offshore harbor, or feed them to the installation vessel.

“The scale of offshore wind turbines continues to increase steadily, offering greater efficiencies to the market,” said Wei Huang, ABS Director, Global Offshore. “We are working with Neptun to verify compliance with ABS Rules, as it strives to deliver enhanced vessel capabilities supporting the wind industry’s continued growth, while increasing reliability and efficiency.”

“The ABS extensive offshore industry experience made them the natural choice to support this project. Blue Azurit will help the offshore wind industry meet pressure to reduce costs, minimize project risks, deliver higher reliability and support renewable energy targets from new offshore wind nations,” said Gerald Hadaschik, Neptun Managing Director.

In granting the AIP, ABS conducted a preliminary engineering plan review and considers, that the conceptual engineering is feasible for the intended application and is, in principle, in compliance with the ABS Rules for Building and Classing Offshore Support Vessels, 2018.

ABS has extensive experience supporting innovation in the offshore wind industry, including classification of Seajacks Scylla, the world’s largest and most advanced wind farm installation and offshore construction vessel, constructed by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea. ABS is also playing a role in supporting the development of innovative concepts for future floating wind farm projects.