Windcat’s First CSOV Launched

Damen Shipyards, Windcat and CMB.TECH are celebrating the launch of the first of six commissioning service operation vessels (CSOV).

The launch marks the inauguration of Windcat’s Elevation Series of offshore wind farm maintenance and support vessels.

Damen is constructing all six CSOVs at Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam. With this first CSOV in the water, Damen will continue with its outfitting and commissioning operations to prepare the vessel for delivery in Q2 2025.

Damen, Windcat and CMB.TECH first announced their intention to develop and build a series of offshore wind farm support vessels together back in 2022. After an initial contract for two ships, Windcat increased the order to six vessels, with the last contract being signed mid-2024.

The 87-meter CSOV represents advances in efficiency, performance and comfort, says Damen. It will accommodate up to 120 people, remaining at its offshore location to provide in-field technical and maintenance support for up to 30 days at a time.

“We are especially proud of the efficiency gains that this vessel is expected to deliver,” said Damen Sales Manager Benelux Joost van der Weiden. “The hybrid-electric propulsion system coupled with an efficient power distribution system means that there will be no need to run a backup diesel generator, and the vessel will never use more power than necessary. And we have optimized the thruster configuration, enhancing the dynamic positioning during transfer operations. All in all, we expect innovations like these to add up to substantial reductions in fuel consumption and, therefore, emissions.”

With CMB.TECH’s dual fuel hydrogen technology, the series of six vessels will be able to use hydrogen as a fuel, increasing this hydrogen use as the energy market progresses.