Bibby Marine Services Limited, Bygg nr. 312 / 553021 ved Damen SOV 9020 "Bibby Wavemaster Horizon"

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Keel-laying ceremony for second Bibby Wavemaster takes place at Damen Shipyards Galati

The next walk-to-work Damen SOV 9020 now in build

In a ceremony held last Friday, the keel-laying ceremony for Bibby Marine Services’ second Damen SOV (Service Operations Vessel) 9020 WaveMaster vessel took place at Damen Shipyards Galati, in Romania. This event takes place less than a year after Bibby Marine Services took delivery of its sister-ship Bibby Wavemaster 1. The new vessel is due for delivery in August 2019 and has been contracted by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and EnBW for maintenance operations on two windfarms in German waters; Hohe See and Albatros, both owned by EnBW and Enbridge. The final name will be announced after a competition within Siemens Gamesa and EnBW, however it will continue to be part of the Bibby WaveMaster series.

The SOV 9020 is a new class of purpose-built Service Operations Vessels (SOV) with Walk-to-Work (W2W) capability developed by Damen in consultation with the offshore renewables industry. The design is an entirely new concept from the ground up, combining DP-2 capability, a new motion-compensated gangway, innovative hull design, a revolutionary internal layout, and a comprehensive range of additional innovations designed to increase efficiencies and reduce costs.

Bibby Marine Services placed the order for Bibby Wavemaster 1 early in 2018 following the confirmation of the charter in December 2017 by Siemens Gamesa. With the steel plates for the second vessel cut at the same time of those for the first, and some fabrication already having taken place, work has been able to begin at an accelerated pace.

“We have believed in the SOV 9020 from the beginning,” says Bibby Marine Services managing director Stephen Bolton. “Siemens Gamesa and EnBW were looking for higher access to the wind turbines and this is what the SOV 9020 is built to do, with the Wavemaster 1 providing the evidence.”

The second vessel differs in just a few minor respects from the first. Some changes have been made to the warehousing layout at the charterer’s request, and the sauna has been removed so as to double the size of the gym. The bridge has also been reconfigured. The second Wavemaster will also have a different gangway package and crane, this time supplied by SMST of the Netherlands. “The gangway on the original vessel has and continues to perform well,” explains Stephen, “but the technology has moved on and this new integrated system does away with the need for an independent lift tower. Now, the gangway hangs off the tower and matches where the lift is. All in all, the small number of changes that we have made to this second vessel shows just how good the first one was.”

The Wavemaster 1 has recently completed her first charter servicing wind farms off the east coast of England, having seen all her options to extend taken up by the client. As of 5 April she is now working with Total E&P Netherlands servicing its gas platforms in the southern North Sea.

“We have had good feedback on the Wavemaster 1 from our clients, and lots of interest from third parties wanting to look over her,” continues Stephen. “That gives us lots of confidence in the concept, and we have also found the Damen HIL Simulator invaluable in validating the performance of the SOV design, with the initial theoretical predictions now being supported by the data coming back from Wavemaster 1. It’s been a real game changer.

“The cooperation with Damen has been very good throughout this process,” Stephen concludes. “We work well together. With our target of winning 25% of the offshore renewables servicing market, which we believe will in total support 20 to 25 of this type of vessel, we hope to be back to Damen for more SOV 9020s in the near future.”

Kilde: Damen

Damen SOV 9020
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Illustrasjon: Damen
 
'Bibby WaveMaster Horizon' launched and named at Damen Shipyards Galati

On March 29th, Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania launched Bibby Marine Services’ second Service Operations Vessel (SOV) 9020. During the same event, the vessel was officially named Bibby WaveMaster Horizon. Upon delivery later this year, the SOV will begin maintenance work on two EnBW and Enbridge-owned windfarms in the German North Sea – Hohe See and Albatros – for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and EnBW.

Damen developed the SOV 9020 vessel following close consultation with the offshore renewable energy industry. The design combines walk-to-work capabilities with DP2 and an innovative hull along with a revolutionary interior and comprehensive features ensuring maximum efficiency of operation.

Damen began construction of the second SOV at the same time as the first vessel, the Bibby WaveMaster 1. This meant that, when Bibby Marine Services and Siemens Gamesa confirmed their contract at the end of 2017, Damen was able to accelerate construction rapidly.

“This is one the principal benefits of Damen’s philosophy of standardised shipbuilding,” explains Damen sales manager Arjen van Elk. “Building in series means that we are able to deliver reliable, proven ships in the fastest possible timeframes, at competitive prices.

“We have received very positive feedback from Bibby Marine Services regarding the Bibby WaveMaster 1, as a result of which we have every confidence that Bibby WaveMaster Horizon will make a fantastic asset for Bibby and for their clients. From the very outset of the development of the SOV, we have enjoyed a terrific collaboration with Bibby and I’m very pleased to see this continue.”

Stephen Bolton, Managing Director at Bibby Marine Services, said: “It is with great pride today that we launch and christen the Bibby WaveMaster Horizon. This vessel builds on the amazing track record of the sister ship the Bibby WaveMaster 1. Since delivery in September 2017 the Bibby WaveMaster 1 has worked continuously in the offshore wind and oil and gas sectors proving her design and Bibby’s management model on a daily basis. We are therefore confident that the Bibby WaveMaster Horizon will perform equally well for our clients Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and ENBW and set a new benchmark in the offshore wind operations and maintenance sector.”

The godmother of the Bibby WaveMaster Horizon was Mrs Mirna Robert-Du Ry van Beest Holle, wife of Damen’s Director of Special Projects Peter Robert. Peter, as then Director of Business Development at Damen, was instrumental in the development of the SOV 9020 from its inception.

Kilde: Damen

"Bibby WaveMaster Horizon"
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Foto: via Damen
 
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