Bernhard Schulte entrusts Ulstein with a new contract

Photo: Ulstein

The German shipowner has contracted the Norwegian shipbuilding company for the delivery of a service operation vessel (SOV).

The 93.4 m-long and 18 m-wide SOV, to be delivered in early 2020, will support the maintenance of the 66 turbines-big 396 MW Merkur offshore wind farm that's located in the German part of the North Sea.

The ship of the ULSTEIN SX195 type was developed by Ulstein Design & Solutions in cooperation with WINDEA Offshore, Bernhard Schulte's affiliate for offshore wind projects. Among other things, the SOV will have a large, centrally positioned walk, a motion compensated gangway, and an elevator tower for personnel and cargo transfers, all enabling step-less approach to offshore installations. The vessel will also have a 3D compensated 2.0t of max lifting capacity crane. The SOV's drive system will include battery-solutions for improving the efficiency of fuel consumption. The new ship will be able to accommodate up to 120 people.

In 2016-2017, Ulstein provided Bernhard Schulte with two other newbuilds for the offshore business.