A joint venture between Schoeller Holdings and Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt (DOS, German Offshore Shipping) will be entering the offshore energy market with four construction commissioning service operation vessels (C-CSOVs).
The joint venture will be responsible for commercial management of the vessels. Cyprus-based Schoeller Holdings ordered the ships from CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, a member of the China State Shipbuilding Group, for delivery beginning in early 2027.
The C-CSOVs will be able accommodate up to 100 technicians and will offer maximum operational flexibility, being designed for deployment in the offshore wind sector as well as other offshore energy markets.
The ship design was jointly developed by DOS and the Norwegian company Salt Ship Design. Thanks to their wide range of potential uses, the 96.25m long and 20m wide ships will be suitable for performing work above and below water for wind farm installation and their operators, turbine manufacturers, grid operators and companies in the oil and gas sector.
Technical management will be provided by Columbia Shipmanagement, which, like the multipurpose cargo shipping company AAL, is part of Schoeller Holdings. Columbia Shipmanagement has locations across the world, to provide a comprehensive range of services, including the hotel operations at sea and the staffing and training of specialist personnel on board.
Philipp Maracke, DOS Managing Partner said: “The energy market is desperate for new players and more ships. We will charter out the C-CSOVs worldwide, both on the spot market and for long-term contracts of up to 15 years.”
Particular emphasis has been placed on sustainable and economical operation, with the result that the ships are extremely energy efficient. Optimised hydrodynamics in conjunction with an energy-efficient configuration of the propulsion and energy system will reduce fuel consumption, thus emissions, significantly. Particularly worthy of mention in this case are the 1,000 kWh battery pack and the shore power connection. Shifting away from on-board hydraulics, together with the electrification of large equipment, as well as the use of recuperation and heat recovery will lower the energy requirements and the environmental footprint of the ships.
Furthermore, the special-purpose vessels will eventually be able to operate in a climate-neutral manner. Designing the vessel, the future retrofitting to operate on methanol as an alternative fuel was considered to a much higher degree than the class notation requires. For example, the dedicated tanks and pipelines have already been fully integrated into the vessel. In addition, the energy system was designed to enable the ship to be operated entirely on electricity in the future.
The C-CSOV is claimed to represent a major innovation in offshore shipping. While the CSOV designs of today’s fleet are tailored to deployment exclusively on offshore wind turbines, the C-CSOV offers capability to be used in a broader range of applications. This new type of ship will have an enlarged and fully modular working deck, providing over 850m2 of unobstructed space. When used in conjunction with a 50t AHC crane featuring integrated 3D motion compensation, the special-purpose vessel will be able to perform not only conventional Offshore Wind tasks but also cable repairs, IMR and light construction work both above and below water.
The fully integrated offshore gangway system will provide access to platforms between 12m and 30m above the waterline. A 12.4t helicopter deck is provided, while the ship has also been designed for the use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). With low noise levels and ship vibrations on board, the vessels have been assigned a class notation of COMF (C2, V2).
Johannes Wolters, DOS Managing Partner added: “We have applied our experience in building yachts and naval vessels to advance the most common designs. By combining a modified layout with modularity, we have created a vessel that is attractive for a wide range of customers without having to make compromises in the offshore wind market.”
Image: The C-CSOV’s range of applications includes extensive work for the global offshore energy market (credit: DOS / Salt Ship Design)
