VOS Start Begins New Offshore Wind Gig

Vroon’s walk-to-work vessel VOS Start has begun operating at the Northwester 2 offshore wind project in Belgium.

For the charter, VOS Start has been fitted with a three-dimensional motion-compensation system (3D Tip), with a lifting capacity of up to 5t.

All operations are being conducted from the port of Ostend, with the vessel on duty 24/7, deploying service teams to the project, Vroon said.

The 80m long VOS Start, purpose-built to support offshore operations in the renewables industry, is capable of accommodating up to 60 client personnel. It most recently completed a two-year charter for MHI Vestas.

Northwester 2, currently under construction some 50km north-west of Ostend, will comprise 23 MHI Vestas 164-9.5MW turbines placed on monopile foundations.

The first of the 23 foundations was installed at the site on 30 July, within one month after the start of the offshore construction works. The 219MW offshore wind farm is scheduled for commissioning in 2020.