Top down targets for offshore wind are set by politicians and can be seemingly detached from the market reality. The 7+ years required for permissions and development of an offshore wind farm is often referenced as a big constraint on hitting these targets, but the 3+ years required for a new build installation vessel is another conundrum.

Several vessel programs for offshore wind have been completed or are soon to be completed after years of planning and construction and next in line for delivery is Seaway 7’s new build jack up vessel Seaway Ventus.

The new build jack up is of the GustoMSC design NG-14000XL-G equipped with a GustoMSC telescopic truss boom which allows the crane to operate on two modes: retracted mode (2500) and extended mode (1600). The crane design gives the vessel operational flexibility as it can adjust to a variety of lifting scenarios. The vessel is in its final stage of construction at the CMHI Jiangsu yard in China where it is estimated that the vessel will be delivered this summer. When delivered, Seaway Ventus will be transferred to Europe where it has a contract with Ørsted for turbine installation of the Siemens Gamesa SG 11.0-200 at Gode Wind 3 and Borkum Riffgrund 3. Seaway Ventus is the third vessel of its kind as it shares the same designated design as Seajacks’ Scylla and Shimizu’s Blue Wind.

Image credit: GustoMSC