Houston-headquartered NOV has been awarded contracts for the design and the supply of equipment for Eneti Inc’s first wind turbine installation jack-up vessel.
The vessel will be built by South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) for scheduled delivery in the third quarter of 2024.
The jack-up is of the GustoMSC™ NG-16000X design by GustoMSC, a subsidiary of NOV.
The contract provides an option for an additional jack-up vessel.
Emanuele A. Lauro , Chairman and CEO of Eneti Inc., said: ”Since August 2020, we have been unequivocal about our intention to enter the wind turbine installation sector. This vessel will have the advanced lifting capabilities and energy efficiency that offshore wind developers require, not just today, but well into the next decade.”
The NG-16000X is an optimized, self-propelled turbine installation jack-up vessel design that features increased carrying capacity and lifting capacity, as well as a higher lifting height above the deck, NOV said.
The vessel is from the same series as the first US-built NG-16000X and is ready to carry multiple 20 MW turbines. The jack-up has been designed with the option to adapt the vessel in the future, allowing it to operate on alternate liquified natural gas or ammonia fuels.
The GustoMSC NG-16000X includes the GustoMSC Rack & Pinion jacking system with a variable speed drive. The jacking system will have a regenerative power option were the generated power is fed back into the vessel system, NOV said. The design further incorporates a 2,600-t leg encircling crane, ready to install the future size monopile foundations and wind turbines.
Eneti (formerly Scorpio Bulkers) is turning its focus from the dry bulk shipping sector to offshore wind. Last year, the NYSE-listed company announced it would sell its remaining dry bulk vessels and exit the sector during 2021 as it shifts its focus to owning and operating offshore wind installation vessels.
”We are impressed with Eneti’s commitment and willingness to enter into this new market. In a short period of time, both companies worked hard to have this unique NG-16000X ready for construction. We are devoted to assisting our clients from the start until the delivery and beyond that, for many years with our operational support. The shortage of wind turbine installation jack-ups capable of installing heavier and higher turbines in deeper waters is foreseen. GustoMSC has invested and prepared for this change and is well positioned to support our client requirements,” Jan-Mark Meeuwisse , Commercial Director, GustoMSC, said.