Norway’s Integrated Wind Solutions has taken delivery of its third Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) in the Skywalker class series, named IWS Seawalker .
IWS Fleet, a fully owned subsidiary of IWS, signed newbuild contracts with China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) for two purpose-built, walk-to-work CSOVs in March 2021 through IWS’s then subsidiary Awind.
In March 2022, IWS Fleet ordered two more CSOVs at CMHI, for which a steel-cutting ceremony was held that same year.
IWS Seawalker is the third of a series of six identical sister vessels, with the remaining three vessels scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025.
According to a recent social media post by IWS, the company’s IWS Skywalker and the IWS Windwalker are in full operation supporting its clients SSE Renewables at the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm and the Dutch transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT with maintenance of offshore substations.
In February this year, the firm signed a three-year contract with Siemens Gamesa under which IWS will supply CSOVs to support offshore turbine commissioning activities across various Siemens Gamesa projects in Northern Europe, beginning in 2025.
The vessels are designed by Kongsberg Maritime and equipped with the latest generation 3D compensated gangway and crane systems.
According to IWF Fleet, the hybrid-powered vessels will be among the first in the industry capable of zero-emission operations.
The CSOVs have several “industry firsts”, such as the largest battery packs in the industry with solar panels for additional charging, and a novel hull and propulsion design that increases operability and reduces emissions. Furthermore, they are the first in the industry to have the “DNV SILENT” notation, which focuses on minimising the impact on marine life below water, the vessel owner said.