Edda Wind, the offshore wind segment of the Østensjø Group, has signed long term time charter agreements with MHI Vestas and Ocean Breeze Energy respectively for two of the four offshore wind vessels ordered from Spanish yards. The vessels will be delivered with technology whereby emission of greenhouse gases will be reduced by a minimum 30%. Furthermore, the vessels will be prepared for installation of zero emission hydrogen technology.

The charter agreement with MHI Vestas for a newbuild Service Operation Vessel (SOV) will commence in second quarter 2022 and has a firm period of 15 years.

The charter agreement with Ocean Breeze will commence in first quarter of 2021 and has a firm period of 11 years. The contract will be served by a frontrunner vessel for the first year before the newbuild Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) will be delivered in first quarter 2022.

Illustration: Salt Ship Design

The vessels will serve as mother vessels for wind turbine technicians as they perform commissioning and maintenance work on offshore wind turbines. The CSOVs are 88.3 meter and the SOVs 82.4 m in length. All units with high standard cabins and common areas where the CSOVs can accommodate up to 120 persons and the SOVs 60 persons in total.

“It is fantastic for us to be able to secure long term charters for two of our four newbuilds. The trust experienced SOV users like MHI Vestas and Ocean Breeze have in Edda Wind, is a confirmation that the vessels we have developed are very attractive and will become optimal tools for our clients. With these two contracts, Edda Wind has become a major player in the offshore wind market”, says Kenneth Walland, Chief Executive Officer in Østensjø Rederi.

“When MHI Vestas was assessing suppliers for our newest Service Operation Vessels, Edda Wind stood out for many reasons, one of which was their emphasis on decarbonising their next-generation fleet of supply vessels. We are pleased that their new technology will enable us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our service fleet,” said Flemming Ougaard, MHI Vestas Chief Operations Officer. “Further, the upside of potentially fuelling the SOV with zero-emission hydrogen is very exciting and supports our objectives to decarbonise our operations.”

Illustration: Salt Ship Design

“As operator of the BARD Offshore 1 wind farm, a pioneer project situated 100 km away from the shore, Ocean Breeze Energy is constantly improving its logistics set-up in order best to address the challenges of far-offshore operations. Following an extensive market screening using the know-how we have accumulated over almost 10 years of operation, we are very pleased to reach a new milestone – entering a long-term partnership with Edda Wind for a best in class, environmentally sustainable vessel tailored to our needs”, said Jean Huby, Ocean Breeze Energy Chief Executive Officer.

Illustration: Salt Ship Design

Edda Wind has signed a construction contract for two CSOVs at Astilleros Gondan and a construction contract for two SOVs at Astilleros Balenciaga. Both reputable yards located in northern Spain. The second SOV and the second CSOV will both be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2022. Edda Wind has also secured slots for more sister vessels. All vessels will be operated by Østensjø Rederi AS.

Substantial efforts have been made in order to build the most environmentally friendly vessels. The newbuilds are equipped with a battery hybrid propulsion system, which, together with other energy saving equipment, will reduce emission of greenhouse gases significantly. The generators onboard are IMO tier 3 certified. Together with partners, Østensjø Rederi is working on developing new technologies based on hydrogen as a safe and efficient energy source. The newbuilds are prepared for future installation of this novel technology, which will turn the vessels into zero emission vessels without compromising operational capabilities, i.e. they have endurance to operate on hydrogen throughout their operational cycles.

“We are proud to present these low-emission vessels to the market. For Østensjø Rederi it is important to continuously push the development of environmentally friendly technologies. We firmly believe that the new Edda Wind vessels will be the first zero emission vessels in this market. Taking delivery of four vessels prepared for zero emission technology in the offshore wind market, will enable the company to engage several major players in the development phase of the required hydrogen infrastructure and facilitate the technology development for maritime hydrogen systems”, says Kenneth Walland.

The preparations for future zero emission propulsion systems are made possible by Enova funding. The upgrades include complete tank systems for hydrogen storage, dedicated machinery space for fuel cells, battery hybrid system, novel type propulsors and an extensive package of energy saving measures for most auxiliary systems such as HVAC and pumps systems.

“In order to achieve zero-emission in offshore operations, there’s a need for new solutions both for further reduction of energy consumption and for utilizing alternative fuels. These vessels will contribute in both respects. The technologies developed and incorporated here will also be transferrable to other shipping segments”, says Astrid Lilliestråle, Head of Transport at Enova.

The newbuilds are designed by Salt Ship Design, Norway in close cooperation with Østensjø Rederi.