Windthrust, a wholly owned subsidiary of Perth-based National Ports Corporation, has revealed its plans to develop a combined self-propelled floating port and installation vessel for the offshore wind farm market.
The company’s Oceandock LX has a 60,000 sq m of deck area, two 2,600 tonne cranes and one 6,000 tonne crane capable of lifting a substation in one single lift. In addition, the Oceandock LX has an extra 700,000 cu m of underdeck area.
“The next generation of wind turbines will be larger and heavier in order to keep up with the rapid increase in global demand for renewables. This will require far larger vessels that can offer heavier lifting capacity and increased deck space,” said Marco Lucido, National Ports’ managing director.
“Today’s installation vessels are not fit for purpose, as they simply do not have the capacity to meet the requirements….we saw that logistical inefficiency as a major opportunity,” Lucido added.
Windthrust has been working closely with offshore wind farm companies from Northern Europe as part of the development of this new offering.
Recent research published by RenewableUK shows that the total pipeline of global offshore wind projects has grown by 47% since January, making the sector the fastest growing one across all energy segments.
