UK-based offshore vessel owner North Star has secured its first contract for a commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) from EnBW, which will be deployed at 960 MW He Dreiht offshore wind farm in Germany.
This award for the newbuild Grampian Kestrel CSOV of VARD 4 22 design, will precede the decade-long minimum charter contract the firm signed in February to provide a service operation vessel (SOV) for the German energy utility firm’s He Dreiht wind farm in the North Sea.
Tailored for the commissioning phase, the Grampian Kestrel CSOV will offer essential accommodation and logistics to support the construction and commissioning works in 2025.
Following this period, it will lead EnBW’s operations and maintenance activities until the newbuild SOV is delivered in the third quarter of 2026.
The Grampian Kestrel is the first of two CSOVs under construction for North Star. The VARD 4 22 design has been developed especially for North Star, with new methanol ready hybrid-propulsion solutions and an increased number of single cabins, providing hotel quality accommodation for the technicians working in field.
“The CSOV, part of North Star’s growing fleet as we aim to add 40 SOVs by 2040, will be equipped with market leading accessibility to enable commissioning and maintenance operations, and feature the latest hull design optimised for low fuel consumption and resistance, as well as high operability and comfort,” said Matthew Gordon, North Star CEO.
With a total installed output of 960 MW, He Dreiht offshore wind farm is currently one of Europe’s largest energy transition projects and will be able to supply 1.1 million households with renewable energy.
From the end of 2025, 64 wind turbines with an installed output of 15 MW each around 90 kilometers northwest of the island of Borkum and 110 kilometers west of Helgoland are planned to be connected to the grid.
