North Star Secures New Work at Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Newly-Delivered SOV to Mobilise 3 Months Earlier

Vessels

July 7, 2023, by Adrijana Buljan

North Star’s second hybrid-propulsion service operation vessel (SOV), which the shipbuilder and designer Vard just delivered to the company, will be mobilised for work on Dogger Bank Wind Farm three months earlier than planned as North Star was awarded new scope on Dogger Bank A.

Grampian Derwent; Photo source: North Star

The new SOV, named Grampian Derwent, will soon be deployed to support the construction and commissioning stage of the initial 1.2 GW phase of the three-phase offshore wind development SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn are building 130 kilometres off the east Yorkshire coast.

As reported yesterday, Vard has just delivered Grampian Derwent to North Star at its yard in Vietnam shortly after North Star held a naming ceremony for the first SOV, Grampian Tyne, which will also be mobilised for the same new scope.

With the new work awarded, the vessels can dovetail into their scheduled long-term charters for operations and maintenance (O&M) work at Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which were awarded earlier.

North Star has ordered four SOVs at Vard, with Grampian Derwent being a larger iteration of the three other newbuilds, featuring an increased warehouse capacity and ability to accommodate 10 more people than the other three. The vessel is also equipped with a 17-metre helideck and a larger crane.

The remaining two SOVs are under construction at Vard and are on track for being put into service at Dogger Bank A, B and C by 2026.

Vard has also begun work on the construction of North Star’s first two commissioning SOVs (CSOVs), which the vessel owner ordered in May, with options to build two more.