Wind Turbine Service News

When Atlantic offshore wind (OSW) projects move into high gear they will kick-start a series of impacts affecting almost the entire East Coast economy, from logistics to transportation to utility projects and, of course, just about every aspect of port and maritime activities.The related topics of workforce development and employment are among the fundamental issues being pushed and pulled by OSW. How workforce development and education and training proceed – and succeed – will be critical for the U.S.

Last Tuesday, the crew of the service operations vessel (SOV) Esvagt Njord helped save seven fishermen in distress near the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm in the U.K. North Sea.Esvagt Njord is a wind turbine ship assisting Equinor in the operation of the offshore wind farm off Great Yarmouth on the English east coast. Over the radio, skipper Brian Kristiansen heard a fishing vessel nearby calling for help, and when he responded, he learned that the ship was taking in water. "The fishing vessel had yet to send out a Mayday. We had a feeling, however, that there was a need for help close by.

Block Island — U.S.-based Deepwater Wind’s five-turbine, 30-megawatt wind park — was the first. It showed what was possible, what might not have been optimal and how long it all takes. Since then, incentives for onshore-wind have been curbed, while a tax credit for offshore wind has been extended. Wind parks are in the works. States have power companies buying offshore wind energy, and experienced offshore operators are hiring the new wind-service vessels from elements of their oil-and-gas supply chain. The Jones Act, too, is being overcome by fleet owners and designers joining the U.S.

The new Wind Server Wind Turbine Service Jack-Up Vessel was delivered to owner DBB Jack-Up Services in December 2014, with a full complement of Kongsberg Maritime control and automation technology on board. Built at Nordic Yards in Wismar, Germany, Wind Server went into operation maintaining offshore wind turbines throughout Northern Europe in February 2015. Wind Server’s Full Picture technology solution covers navigation, automation and maneuvering systems, and is designed to support safety and efficiency during offshore maintenance operations.

In Wismar, Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany, today the fourth and last steel jack-up leg was settled into its jacking position on the wind turbine service vessel WIND SERVER, currently under construction at Nordic Yards in Wismar for Danish customer DBB Jack-Up Services. During the past eight days the four huge steel pipes, which were transported to the Wismar shipyard by sea from Cuxhaven, were vertically raised and installed one by one with the aid of a giant lattice boom crane supplied specially for this project.

Nordic Yards in Wismar, Germany, has awarded Kongsberg Maritime a contract to deliver an Integrated Vessel Control System for a newbuild 80m Wind Turbine Service Jack-Up Vessel, owned by Danish offshore services specialist, DBB Jack-Up. The integrated 'Full Picture' solution covers navigation, automation and manoeuvring systems, and will be one of the first to feature Kongsberg Maritime's recently launched LAN-based Radar system. The new radar concept, K-Bridge 'Composite Picture' Radar CP360, is an integral part of the K-Bridge navigation system to be installed.

At Nordic Yards a 390-ton section of a new wind turbine service jack-up vessel was laid down in the Wismar dock today as scheduled, marking a milestone in the building of the 80 x 32 m ship. The vessel was ordered last year by the Danish company DBB Jack-Up Services for the purpose of servicing offshore wind farms. "We are delighted to be witnessing this major step in the construction of our offshore vessel together with Nordic Yards today", said Thorsten Jalk, CEO at DBB Jack-Up Services.

Siemens plans to build a new, state-of-the-art wind turbine service training facility in Orlando, Florida. The demand for skilled wind service technicians is increasing as more wind projects come online in the Americas, thereby requiring long-term service and maintenance. Siemens is designing this new 40,000-square-foot center, which will be located close to the global headquarters of Siemens’ Energy Service division in Orlando, to be among the most advanced wind training facilities in the world. Siemens’ initial investment will be approximately $7 million and the company plans to create 50 new full-time jobs and host approximately 2,400 trainees annually from the U.S. and the Americas.

Northern Germany's Nordic Yards contracted by Denmark's DBB Jack-up Services to construct a Wind Turbine Service Jack Up Vessel (WTSJUV). The production of the vessel will be carried out at the yards in Rostock-Warnemünde and Wismar and will take approximately one year. Start of construction is planned for spring 2013, delivery scheduled for spring 2014. Additionally, there is an option for the construction of two more vessels. This special vessel commissioned from Nordic Yards will be used for servicing offshore wind turbines and is able to work under the most challenging conditions. It will be 80 metres long, 32 metres wide and has a novel jack-up system. I.e.

Building on its initial success in the renewable energy market, Austal has confirmed a contract for a fourth wind farm support vessel for Turbine Transfers Limited. The order is the first for a new Austal design which will enable safer and more efficient offshore wind turbine service. Welcoming the follow-up order from the UK-based company, Austal Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Bellamy, said the shipbuilder had continued to refine and enhance its Wind Express vessel range following its launch in mid-2010 as part of a strategy to pursue new commercial vessel markets.