Strategic Marine, a specialist shipbuilder operating in Singapore and Vietnam, has delivered the Njord Curlew, a high-grade crew transfer and service vessel for Njord Offshore, the UK fleet operator specialising in supply services for the growing offshore windfarm sector.
Today’s delivery is the third in a series of eight vessels for Njord Offshore, underscoring Strategic’s recent move into a new market sector, one in which it sees significant growth opportunity.
“This major contract with Njord Offshore is our first big step toward achieving our ambition to become the world’s best and biggest supplier of windfarm service vessels,” announced Ron Anderson, Strategic Marine’s Executive Director.
“We are diversifying and expanding our capability to provide state of the art service vessels for the offshore windfarm sector globally,” he said. “Our decision to do so stems from dialogue with colleagues in the renewables industry and to observing greater and greater worldwide demand for such project installations.”
Pairing with designers at specialist ship designer and engineering consultant BMT, the vessels for Njord Offshore represent another milestone for Strategic.
“Successfully applying our building expertise in yet another new market is extremely satisfying for us,” said Mr Anderson. “We are proud to have set a new benchmark for the offshore windfarm service sector.”
The eight vessels, to be deployed by Madliena Shipping (Jersey) Ltd in Europe’s growing offshore windfarm fields, are 21-metre 15DWT crew transfer catamarans classed by DNV with IAI HSLC R2 Windfarm Service 1 notation.
They are powered by MTU engines of 965bhp each at 2,250rpm for speeds up to 26 knots.
Including multiple lashdown points for cargo, the decks can quarter a 10ft container if required. Other features include a 6.5ft knuckle crane, removable A-frame and 40m deck reel fuel transfer system.
Each vessel, with a crew of four, can accommodate 12 passengers and provide showers, multimedia capacity and a full galley.
“As part of Strategic’s plans to grow further as a provider to the offshore windfarm markets, we have also established a robust agreement for ship maintenance services with Testbank Ship Repair in the UK,” Mr Anderson added.
“This partnership demonstrates our commitment to the European offshore wind market. It ensures the vessels will have long and successful lives after delivery.”
The value of Strategic’s orderbook for the windfarm service sector is currently USD $30 million and rising.
Mr. Anderson expressed strong confidence in the market for renewable projects. “This year we are instigating a newbuild programme to cater for stock requests, a move which has the obvious benefit to clients of shortening delivery times.”