Norwegian offshore wind service company Edda Wind has ordered three commissioning service operation vessels (CSOV) for delivery in January and July 2024 in addition to the six vessels the company has under construction.
The order is spread between Astilleros Gondan in Spain for one CSOV, while Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka will build two vessels. The deal comes with an option for more ships at both yards.
“By building a series of vessels like this, and with the experience and knowledge we have from the vessels currently under construction, we are able to acquire these vessels at competitive prices. Tremendous growth is expected in the offshore wind market over the next decades, and the move is a clear signal on Edda Wind’s ambition to be a world-leading provider in this segment,” said Kenneth Walland, CEO of Edda Wind.
The contracts are said to be on market terms and the 89.3 m long vessels will function as mother ships for wind turbine technicians as they perform commissioning and maintenance work on the wind turbines. Walland said the vessels will be prepared for future zero-emission operation based on Norwegian government enterprise Enova support. The technology is based on liquid organic hydrogen carrier, which will ensure the use of hydrogen as an energy source.
Edda Wind, which is owned by Wilhelmsen and Østensjø, secured backing from John Fredriksen and Idan Ofer who committed to invest around $23m each. The company currently owns and operates two purpose-built offshore wind SOVs and has nine dedicated offshore wind vessels under construction – two offshore wind SOVs and seven offshore wind CSOVs.
