Damen Shipyards won the contract to build a sixth Commissioning Service Operation Vessel for offshore personnel transfer provider Windcat, thus completing the six-ship ‘Elevation Series’ of future-proof CSOVs. The contract marks the further strengthening of the working relationship between Damen, Windcat, and CMB.TECH. Windcat will deploy the ‘Elevation Series’ to provide in-field technical and maintenance support to offshore wind farms for up to 30 days at a time.

Damen will build the sixth CSOV at Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam, where construction of the first five vessels is currently proceeding at various stages. The first CSOV will be delivered early next year.

“Working together with Windcat and CMB.TECH over the last few years shows the power of collaboration,” adds Damen’s Sales Manager Benelux Joost van der Weiden. “Working closely with CMB.TECH to develop the hydrogen component of this vessel – turning new technology into a proven technology – is a groundbreaker for the industry. And, of course, we appreciate working with Windcat in making the entire series of six vessels effective – the fact that Windcat has ordered this sixth vessel demonstrates their clear vision.”

The ‘Elevation Series’ of CSOV is a result of the close cooperation between the three disciplines of offshore crew transfer services, future-proof fleet owner, and shipbuilding: with the three parties of Windcat, CMB.TECH and Damen bring their respective expertise to the drawing board.

Specific attention has been paid to the internal design of all six vessels of the ‘Elevation Series’. “We are excited to confirm the sixth vessel in this series of innovative, efficient, and high-performing vessels. Together with Damen, we have also spent a lot of time thinking about the onboard workflow of the offshore wind farm technicians; how they can move from point A to point B as efficiently as possible, both for operational efficiency and for safety,” says Windcat Managing Director Willem Van Der Wel.

The focus on internal design included creating a premium ‘look and feel’ of Windcat’s CSOV. Van Der Wel continues: “The interior design is quite similar to a premium hotel because we wanted to give the technicians a comfortable place to live while at work.”

The final design is for an 87-metre-long vessel that can accommodate 120 people on board. Drawing on input from CMB.TECH, as well as lessons learned from Windcat’s hydrogen-powered Crew Transfer Vessel, the CSOV will be equipped with dual-fuel hydrogen technology. This will not only substantially reduce CO2 emissions but will also give Windcat a leading position in terms of using sustainable fuels.