DNV has signed a classification contract for two new hydrogen-ready commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) ordered by the Norwegian pure-play offshore wind operator Edda Wind at Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka.
The new additions to the Edda Wind fleet will deliver under the Norwegian Flag in January 2024 and July 2024 and function as mother ships for wind turbine technicians as they perform commissioning and maintenance work on wind turbines. The planned hydrogen fuel system will be based on the liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) design by Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime and prepare the vessels for future zero-emission operations. The two CSOVs will be built to the Salt 0425 design and measure 89.3 m. They are, in principal, sister vessels to a DNV-classed newbuild which is currently under construction at the Spanish shipyard Astilleros Gondán.
“Ordering these purpose-built CSOVs will further strengthen Edda Wind’s leading position within offshore wind, and we are very pleased to have DNV as our classification partner on this journey,” said Håkon Vevang, chief commercial officer of Edda Wind. “Tremendous growth is expected in the offshore wind market over the next decades, and the move is a clear signal of Edda Wind’s ambition to be a world-leading provider in this segment and our commitment to ensuring that our newbuilds are environmentally friendly.”
Edda Wind owns and operates two vessels working for Ørsted, and operates one chartered frontrunner for a long-term contract with Ocean Breeze. In addition, there is a newbuild program of two SOVs and four CSOVs, of which two SOVs and two CSOVs are committed to mid-to-long-term contracts with Vestas, Ocean Breeze, Siemens Gamesa and SSE. The company’s largest investors are Østensjø Wind, Wilhelmsen New Energy, John Fredriksen’s Geveran Trading, and Idan Ofer-associated Xclat Holdings.
