2017: Windea La Cour - OSJ Offshore Renewables Award

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The Offshore Renewables Award is awarded to a company, project or product that has made a significant contribution to the development of the offshore renewables market during 2016.

The 'Windea La Cour' was nominated, and eventually won, the award, much due to its X-STERN® aft hull. It is an optimised hull for wind farm operations, as the operator avoids loosing time by turning the vessel and moving slowly backwards.

Reports show that vessels servicing the offshore wind turbines operate backwards at least 50-70 per cent of the time after having arrived at the wind farms. The video below was shot at the vessel's sea trial, where the backing abilities were tested.

The vessel was delivered in 2016, and is in service at the 600 MW Gemini offshore wind power plant in the Netherlands.

Shortlisted for the award were:

• Palfinger’s turbine blade access system, the PBA, for which Senvion recently became the first customer
• Windea La Cour, a turbine maintenance vessel for BS Offshore/Siemens, the world’s first X-STERN hullform vessel
• Barge Master’s Gangway system for personnel and cargo. The Barge Master Gangway Model 3.0 compensates vessel motions in significant wave heights of up to 3m
• Voith for the Voith Linear Jet. The VLJ is a new type of propulsor combining the best properties of conventional propellers with the best properties of conventional waterjets.

Nominee

Another Ulstein designed vessel, the 'ALP Striker', was shortlisted for the 'Support Vessel of the Year' Award.