NYK Names Its First Japan-Built Crew Transfer Vessel for Offshore Wind

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Japan’s Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) has named and launched a new crew transfer vessel (CTV) aimed at supporting offshore wind power projects in the country.

The vessel, Alfonsino Arrow , was named at a ceremony held on 12 December at Kosaba Shipbuilding in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, NYK said.

The vessel is NYK’s first crew transfer vessel ordered from a Japanese shipyard.

Alfonsino Arrow will be used to transport technicians and personnel involved in the construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms in Japanese waters.

The aluminium catamaran measures about 28 metres in length and 9 metres in beam, with a gross tonnage of roughly 145 tonnes. The design was adapted from an existing CTV model from Northern Offshore Services, an NYK Group company in Europe, to meet Japanese regulatory and operational requirements, with key materials and equipment sourced domestically, according to NYK.

Among those attending the naming ceremony on 12 December was also Masato Yamada, CEO of JERA Nex BP Japan which, as part of the Oga Katagami Akita Offshore Green Energy joint venture, recently entered into a long-term time-charter agreement with NYK for a crew transfer vessel that will serve the first offshore wind project in Japan’s general sea area.

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