Bibby Marine Services Ltd. has signed a contract with shipbuilder Damen Shipyards for a purpose-built SOV to serve the offshore wind market. The new ship called Bibby WaveMaster 1 represents the first collaboration of its kind between the two market leading companies.
Bibby WaveMaster 1 is a custom-designed Service Operations Vessel (SOV) with an overall length of 90 m. The vessel is built on a stable DP-2 (Dynamic Positioning) platform. It will be equipped with a motion compensated walk to work access and 60 high quality accommodation berths. Equipment will be securely transferred by way of the heave compensated offshore-rated knuckle boom crane. “The aim is to enable offshore wind operators to work more efficiently, more safely and in maximum comfort, for periods of up to 30 days at a time”, says Stephen Blaikie, Chief Executive Officer, Bibby Marine Services Ltd. “With technicians on standby in the field 24/7, wind farm operators can act immediately to rectify expensive outages, even in the toughest of weather conditions”, he continues.
“The development of this vessel has started with a blank sheet of paper, as opposed to being an evolved version of an existing design”, says Damen Business Development Manager Peter Robert. Bibby WaveMaster 1 is being built at Damen’s Shipyards Galati in Romania and is expected to launch in mid 2017.
Blaikie explains the thinking behind this latest Bibby investment: “Having served the maritime industry for over 200 years, Bibby’s ongoing success lies in staying one step ahead, recognising new opportunities and leading with innovative solutions. With significant growth expected in offshore wind over the coming years, Bibby WaveMaster 1 represents our first step toward becoming a major player in the offshore wind access and accommodation sector.”
Katharina Garus / Bibby Marine Services
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