The 57 meter lengthy hybrid diesel-electric WindKeeper SOV might be constructed to DNV class with Walk to Work and DPS(2) notations
Norway’s GC Rieber Shipping has positioned an order with Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for 2 progressive WindKeeper Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) primarily based on Small Water Area Twin Hull (SWATH) methodology and design. The first vessel is ready for supply in first quarter 2025 and the order contains choices for an additional two vessels.
The WindKeeper is designed to ship improved operability, ultra-low gas consumption and the choice of absolutely electrical operations in area. It is the results of a improvement program that GC Rieber started in 2016 placing, it says, “vast resources” into the undertaking, which has concerned shut cooperation with key gear suppliers, detailed simulations and a number of other rounds of tank exams, newest at SINTEF, Norway in 2022.
WindKeeper has been developed to ship two key value-adding attributes:
- A considerable decrease environmental footprint in comparison with monohull. The first era WindKeeper will ship substantial lowered emissions from day 1
- Sea and station conserving efficiency widening the operational window in a protected and environment friendly method
A stand-alone firm, WindKeeper AS, wholly owned by GC Rieber Shipping, has been arrange for the WindKeeper vessels. Total funding in WindKeeper is about EUR 110 million, with the undertaking and vessels being absolutely financed by a mixture of fairness and debt financing. Sparebanken Vest and Eksfin have supplied long run mortgage amenities of minimal EUR 51 million.
“In 2020, GC Rieber Shipping made a strategic decision to become a pure shipowner and project house with a focus on developing profitable and sustainable maritime projects,” says GC Rieber Shipping CEO Einar Ytredal. “We are proud to launch WindKeeper as our first project. The solidity of environmental and operational performances of WindKeeper are a testament to the strong technical capabilities within GC Rieber Shipping. Coming off close to a decade of downturn in the offshore industry, being able to finance and realize such a project on a stand-alone basis, further evidences the strong capacities of the project house. Our ambition is to build WindKeeper into a substantial and valuable player in the offshore wind industry,”
“We look forward to showing future clients and the market the exceptional performance of WindKeeper,” stated GC Rieber Shipping CCO, Christoffer Knudsen “WindKeeper will drive down charterers daily costs and substantially reduce their emissions, improving their environmental footprint. We believe WindKeeper will be a preferred alternative for this decade. WindKeeper’s Charge2Work, zero emission alternative, further allows for the option of fully electric operations in field.”
“Our goal is to build innovative, environmentally friendly vessels for valuable players in the offshore industry together with our sustainable production and finance models,” stated s Cemre Shipyard CFO Ömer Özeroğlu. “We are completely happy and proud to have entered right into a contract for 2 difficult tasks for Windkeeper AS, wholly owned by GC Rieber Shipping. Thank you very a lot for the skilled workforce of Cemre Shipyard and GC Rieber Shipping for his or her nice contribution and exhausting work to make this occur.
- More on WindKeeper HERE
