OHT inks shipbuilding contract for its first wind turbine installation vessel

OHT and China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) have signed a contract for the construction of the first of the two wind turbine installation vessels announced in July.

Through its wholly owned subsidiary VIND Offshore Installation 1, the Norwegian company signed the complete shipbuilding contract with CMHI on 3 October.

The delivery is scheduled to take place in the second quarter of 2023.

The jack-up vessel, currently referred to as VIND 1, and its sister vessel VIND 2 for which a shipbuilding contract is yet to be signed, are of the GustoMSC NG-14000XL-G design.

OHT states that both of its new vessels are specifically designed to install next-generation offshore wind turbines and XL-monopiles, and that both will operate with significant reductions in their environmental footprints.

Both jack-ups will feature a telescopic crane with a maximum capacity of 2,500 tonnes and a maximum lifting height of approximately 165 metres, and will be capable of installing wind turbines in water depths of up to 65 metres.

The vessels will feature battery hybrid solutions as well as a sophisticated electrical and control system, reducing CO2 emissions by 20 per cent compared to similar units, OHT said.

As a future option, the vessels will be prepared to run on hydrogen-powered fuel cells.

The CMHI shipyard in China is currently building OHT’s Alfa Lift vessel, which will be the world’s largest foundation installation vessel, according to OHT.