Two-year charter for Acta Marine’s Walk-to-Work newbuild on ‘Bard Offshore 1’ wind farm
The DP2 Service Operation Vessel (SOV), Acta Auriga, currently under construction at Ulstein Verft, will commence work for Ocean Breeze Energy GmbH (OBE) at their 400 MW offshore wind farm Bard Offshore 1. The ship will perform logistical support for OBE’s maintenance activities on the Bard Offshore 1 wind farm, the company said in its press release.
Acta Auriga, which currently undergoes outfitting and commissioning activities in Ulsteinvik will be delivered by Ulstein Verft end of Q1 2018 after which the vessel will commence its work.
Acta Auriga is an Ulstein designed X-BOW & X-STERN DP2 offshore support vessel equipped with SMST motion compensated gangway with integrated lift and crane functionality. The vessel is also able to perform 3D compensated lifts with its 6t SMST 3D crane and is equipped with a fuel-efficient drive system. The vessel is equipped with state of the art covered warehousing facilities, integrated people and cargo logistics and stepless approach to the offshore installations.
In total 120 people can stay onboard in its 80 cabins. Thanks to the high comfort hotel facilities the Bard Offshore 1 team living at high sea benefits from an optimal live and work environment. The 93.4m long vessel will operate out of Emden.
With this contract Acta Marine will provide year-round marine and logistical support offshore. Acta Auriga’s walk to work gangway system and 3D compensated crane are able to cope with the challenging weather and sea conditions that occur in the German Bight – North Sea where OBE’s windfarm is located about 100km offshore. The deployment of Acta Auriga will subsequently contribute further to the efficient and high-productivity operation of Bard Offshore 1 windfarm.
The vessel, based on the ULSTEIN SX195 design, is dedicated for walk-to-work, offshore logistics, equipment transportation and accommodation services. The vessel can operate in harsh sea states, with significant wave heights up to 3 metres. Equipped with the X-BOW and X-STERN hull lines, the operability and comfort are improved. The X-STERN minimizes slamming and vibrations in astern mode.
The first and currently most powerful offshore wind farm in Germany is completely connected to the grid since September 2013. 80 wind energy generators of the 5 megawatt class reach a nominal capacity of 400 megawatt - this equals the energy consumption of more than 400,000 households. The offshore wind farm BO1 is located approx. 100 km north of the isle of Borkum in the German North Sea and comprises an area of approximately 59 square kilometres.
Ocean Breeze Energy GmbH & Co. KG is owner and operator of the windfarm, BARD Offshore. It is 100% indirectly held by HypoVereinsbank.
