Cutting costs in W2W operations a new approach to vessel design

February 10, 2025

Offshore wind farms are currently serviced using Crew Transfer Vessels or helicopters for day operations, and Service Operation Vessels for extended periods. What if there were a CAPEX-smart design that reduces building costs by over 50% compared to an SOV and supplement the SOVs on most tasks?

Rethinking offshore operations

The world needs greener energy, but high costs are a barrier. Raw material and equipment prices have more than doubled, halting many projects. Can we reduce the financial risk of developing offshore wind farms and make walk-to-work (W2W) operations more affordable?

SOVs are the most efficient and preferred solution today for servicing offshore wind turbines, outperforming CTVs in safety, availability, and comfort. However, rising shipbuilding costs and newbuild delivery times threaten their viability. CTVs, on the other hand, face tougher requirements, such as slower speed in protected areas and reduced emissions.

Economies of scale have mitigated costs for SOVs, raw materials, and wind farm development, but relying solely on large wind farms is not sustainable. Designing smaller SOVs alone is insufficient; a new approach to operations and vessel conceptualisation is essential.