Statkraft has entered into an initial six month charter agreement with Tidal Transit to use the WaveCraft to transport its O&M turbine technicians into its Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm field.
The 317MW Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm is located from 9-17 miles off the coast of North Norfolk in the southern North Sea, and Umoe Firmus will operate from the port of Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk where the wind farm’s O&M base is located.
Tidal Transit Commercial Director Leo Hambro said: “By the time Umoe Firmus goes into service in February 2016, the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm will have been fully operational for over three years.
“During that time it has used a variety of vessels operating from the Outer Harbour at Wells-next-the-Sea to access the wind farm field, including 3 of our own Personnel Transfer Vessels, so Statkraft will be able to compare the WaveCraft’s performance with its considerable vessel data and experience to date.”
On behalf of Sheringham Shoal, Plant Manager Jason Halsey says: “As the operator of Sheringham Shoal, we are constantly looking at innovative ways to increase availability and lower the cost of operations for the owners. The combination of cutting edge technology and reliable partnership with Tidal Transit will enable us to extract the value we need from this charter. I am sure that all the other offshore wind farm projects in which Statkraft is involved will be keen to learn of Sheringham Shoal’s experiences with WaveCraft.”
Later this year Tidal Transit crews will be undergoing operational training on the WaveCraft vessel which is being used at the Borkum Riffgrund Wind Farm off the coast of Germany.