Offshore Wind

Service operation vessels, Construction Support Vessels, Commissioning Service Operation Vessels and Installation Support Vessels are reliable Walk-To-Work (W2W) platforms for wind farm support operations. Our designs include the X-BOW®/X-STERN® or TWIN X-STERN® solutions.

We are dedicated to providing designs for cost-efficient CLV operations, taking into account safety, the comfort of the crew and the efficiency of operations. We advance the industry and reduce investment risks with our cable laying portfolio, and provide service and support throughout the lifecycle of the vessel.

Subsea rock installation vessels are used for rock placement to protect marine infrastructure, especially for offshore energy.

With the strong, global developments in offshore wind, our feeder and heavy transport vessels have been developed to serve the needs of the industry. Always featuring a large and strong open deck area, our designs offer a well-balanced combination of (long) transit efficiency, payload and low CAPEX/OPEX.

Our offshore wind foundation installation vessel designs are optimized to meet future market demands. Large carrying and lifting capacities in combination with high DP capability and reduced environmental footprint are the obvious features for these vessels.

With the X-JACK heavy-lift jack-up designs we present our answer to the offshore wind industry’s need for fit-for-purpose, cost-efficient yet future-proof wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV). These designs are equally well-suited for the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) stage in the life of offshore wind farms.

To answer the future need for more innovative and greener supply tonnage, we have applied our holistic design mindset to find the sweet spots between necessary capacities and reduced emissions. This led us to develop our first full-electric supply vessel for the offshore energy market.

The offshore wind industry faces significant installation challenges with the increasing size of monopile foundations. With the patent-pending ULSTEIN U-STERN, we are introducing a safer, smarter and more competitive ship design solution for transporting, upending and installing large monopiles on DP.

Ulstein started to develop vessels for the offshore oil & gas industry in the 1970s, and dedicated vessels for the offshore wind industry after 2000. The next-generation offshore energy vessels must be flexible and able to work year-round, and we will see several crossover vessels for these two markets.

With an ULSTEIN X-BOW® Cable Laying Vessel, vessel motions will be reduced and, consequently, also the strain on the cable. This might allow operations in worse weather conditions than a vessel with a conventional bow. Due to the absence of whipping movements in the ship, there will be less wear and tear of the cable.

A well-known and recognized design, involvement from the designers in the planning phase and Ulstein’s knowledge of the market demands and optimal solutions in all aspects of the vessel were important when the shipowner Golden Energy Offshore decided to build two newbuilds in China with assistance from Ulstein.

Offshore wind energy generation is one means to reach international climate goals. ULSTEIN has been developing offshore wind designs since 2006. The designs draw on our broad experience in oil and gas, and range from new turbine installation concepts to foundation installation vessels and service operation vessels.

To provide for tomorrow’s needs in offshore wind, Ulstein has expanded its portfolio with the ULSTEIN HX122 design. The design features an ULSTEIN X-BOW® and an ultra-high-capacity crane, enabling operators and contractors to efficiently transport and install monopiles or jacket foundations up to 5,000 tons.

Acta Auriga was contracted to work at the offshore wind farm BARD Offshore 1: “Ocean Breeze Energy decided on this vessel due to a favourable combination of capability, capacity, design and fuel consumption. The delivery precision from Ulstein was also important.”

Subsea rock installation (SRI) vessels are widely used in the offshore industry, stabilising and protecting subsea pipelines, cables and other structures at the sea bed. For the offshore wind industry, SRI vessels also lay protective coverings of rock around turbine foundations, to avoid scouring.

Offshore Wind Farms are being established further from shore. At some point, overnight stays for the service technicians become necessary, and the transport normally done by Crew Transfer Vessels must be replaced by other transport tools. SOVs are becoming the new standard.

The offshore wind market is an abundant source of renewable energy. To reach international climate goals, major markets around the world have set goals to increase their percentage of renewable sources in their domestic electricity consumption. Consequently, many offshore wind farms are currently being established.

The shipping industry is transitioning towards reduced emissions and improved energy efficiency. Whether integrated into a novel design, or retrofitted, a solution supporting the transition should be the best compromise between operational needs, the most environmentally friendly solution, cost, and benefit.