Chinese shipbuilding and ship design group Bestway Marine & Energy Technology has won a contract to build a jackup wind farm installation vessel.
No price or delivery date has been revealed for the 106.6 m long jackup that will feature a 1,200t main crane, a 300t auxiliary crane and an all-electric propulsion system.
Bestway said the contract is the company’s first tie-up with Shanghai Tengdong Construction, whose land equipment lifting expertise will help improve installation efficiency for offshore wind.
China has rapidly grown into a major offshore wind market in the last decade, overtaking the UK in 2021 as the world’s largest producer of electricity from offshore wind.
According to Clarksons Research data, China remains the largest wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) market globally, accounting for 28 units and 62% of the current deployment, and demand for installation units looks set to remain strong over the coming years.
