Ship designer Ned Project has won approval in principle (AiP) from American class society ABS for its hydrogen-ready wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) design.
The NP20000X ULAM design is intended to be Jones Act compliant and able to meet future offshore wind market demands, involving 15-20 MW wind turbine installations. Its innovative approach loads monopiles vertically on the 8,000 sq m deck, eliminating the need to rotate monopiles to the vertical position at sea, ABS explained.
The ship’s engine rooms can be converted into fuel cell compartments accommodating polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, making it possible to rely solely on liquefied hydrogen (LH2) to meet its energy demands. Ned Project is working with GPZ Energy to develop ULAM WTIV projects for the US market.
“There is significant potential for growth in the U.S. offshore wind market and we are confident our WTIV design has the attributes required to deliver this. The scale, power and handling capacity as well as the innovative way it handles the monopiles means this is perfectly adapted to serve the US industry,” said Peter Novinsky, spokesperson for GPZ Energy.
