BMT, a UK-based engineering and and risk-management consultancy, has been awarded an important contract to design two advanced Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) for the expanding U.S. offshore wind industry. The vessels will be deployed to service Ørsted’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project.
BMT’s first U.S. CTV will have the capacity to carry 20 passengers and four crew members on board. It is expected to be delivered early in 2020, with the second vessel planned for later next year.
By relying on previous experience in this area, BMT has designed the new 20m CTV specifically for East Coast conditions — with manoeuvrability, performance, and redundancy — to reach a top speed in the region of 28 knots. The design is a fully-classed vessel ensuring the highest of build standards.
“BMT has been at the forefront of offshore wind farm service vessel designs as it has continuously worked with operators in the industry to develop vessels specific to industry requirements, introducing many game-changing innovations along the way,” said James Lewis, Project Manager for Specialized Ship Design at BMT. “We intend to continue in the same vein and will be looking to evolve our designs and tailor them to the U.S. market, starting with this first vessel.”
The endangered North Atlantic right whales have been a key driver in the design of this vessel, culminating in the smallest quad jet wind-farm vessel that BMT has ever designed. BMT says the custom vessel, designed with a reduced overall length, will operate safely and harmoniously with the whale communities within the North Atlantic’s seasonal management area locations. The resulting design offers performance and specification previously more akin to larger wind-farm vessels.
“The U.S. offshore wind market is set for exponential growth and is in a unique position to benefit from the years of experience and lessons learned from wind farm operations in Europe,” added Lewis.
Filed Under: News, Offshore wind, Projects
