Ventus Formosa starts first project offshore Taiwan

The BMT-designed service accommodation transfer vessel (SATV) Ventus Formosa has started its first long-term charter for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy on the Formosa 1 offshore wind farm in Taiwan.

Penguin Shipyard International in Singapore built the 36-metre (118-feet) SATV.

According to BMT, the vessel’s advanced design offers greater operational versatility, providing long-term offshore accommodation while still being able to push up against the turbine to transfer technicians.

This new concept and size of vessel will be able to plug the gap, where a full-size service operation vessel would be unsuitable and too expensive, the company claimed.

Chris Witty, technical lead for Specialised Ship Design at BMT, said: “The design brief really allowed us the freedom to devise the optimal configuration, from both a comfort and a workflow perspective.”

Seakeeping and efficiency were at the forefront of the project, the company said. To develop this design, BMT leveraged technologies and experience derived from the broad range of markets it serves. The hull form is based on the company’s ModCat range which offers improved seakeeping performance, but with a minimal resistance penalty. The improved vessel motion is also complemented by a full active ride control system.

The design also includes the third generation of the company’s patented Active Fender System. The system allows larger vessels like the SATV to land on wind turbine generators with a reduced impact load enabling the safe transfer of service technicians onto the towers.

The company said the SATV is also designed to ensure passenger comfort is optimised by keeping all sleeping accommodation above the main deck where noise levels will be kept to a minimum through the use of a resiliently mounted super structure.

The vessel is powered by twin MTU 16V2000 engines which are coupled with a Servogear CPP propulsion system. It can travel at a sprint speed of 20 knots and cruise at a speed of 16 knots, with a deadweight capacity of 75 metric tons (83 tons).

Source: Offshore Magazine