UK service operations vessel (SOV) operator North Star has secured its first contract for a commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) with energy utility giant EnBW. This will be North Star’s second award with the company. This award is for the newbuild Grampian Kestrel CSOV and will precede the decade-long charter contract the firm signed in February to provide an SOV for EnBW’s He Dreiht wind farm in the North Sea. With a total installed output of 960 MW, the offshore wind farm is currently one of Europe’s largest energy transition projects and will be able to supply 1.1m households with renewable energy. From the end of next year, 64 wind turbines with an installed output of 15 MW each around 90 km northwest of the island of Borkum and 110 km west of Helgoland will be connected to the grid. Used in the commissioning phase, the Grampian Kestrel will offer accommodation and logistics to support the construction and commissioning works in 2025. Following this period, it will be used during EnBW’s operations and maintenance activities until the newbuild SOV is delivered in the third quarter of 2026. “This new contract with EnBW sets the stage for a long-term partnership and positions North Star as a key player in the transition to renewable energy,” said Matthew Gordon, North Star CEO. The Grampian Kestrel is the first of two CSOVs under construction for North Star. The VARD 4 22 design has been developed especially for the company, with new methanol-ready hybrid-propulsion solutions and an increased number of single cabins for the technicians working on the wind farm. “The contract gives us the flexibility we need to respond quickly and efficiently to the upcoming challenges during the construction and commissioning of He Dreiht”, added Stefan Umland, EnBW´s construction manager. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsGermany Offshore Wind United Kingdom