Damen offshore energy support vessels: cross-sector versatility 

Whether used in the oil and gas industry or on offshore windfarms, Damen’s CSOVs and OESVs are designed around people.

When Damen was developing its commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) series, it aimed for versatility – a vessel that was at home in all sectors of the offshore energy industry, whether renewable or non-renewable, anywhere in the world.  

Whichever sector the vessel is operating in, its scope is broadly the same – supporting construction, commissioning, planned and unplanned maintenance of either a windfarm or an offshore oil and gas platform. For example, the vessel can be positioned in close proximity to a floating production, storage and offloading platform, enabling continuous personnel access.   

People at the core  

Although cross-sector capabilities may sound like a tall order, the basic functionality of a vessel supporting commissioning and maintenance operations is the same, said Damen product manager CSOVs, Mark Couwenberg. 

“What all sectors of the offshore energy industry have in common is people. Whether it’s supporting operations at a windfarm, or an oil platform, such a vessel needs to be able to transport personnel, and provide them with a safe, comfortable place to eat, relax, and sleep in between shifts. Those requirements are at the heart of our CSOV/offshore energy support vessel (OESV) designs.” 

Home away from home 

As you might expect from platforms with people at the core, Damen’s OESVs provide a high standard of accommodation to ensure a comfortable stay offshore for up to 28 days at a time.  

A lot of effort has gone into designing accommodation areas with high-quality materials, with a view to minimising both homesickness and seasickness. The accommodation also features well-thought-out configurations, enabling personnel to easily navigate the vessel. 

Scalable accommodation   

“The living areas provide a good demonstration of the flexible approach we needed to take to ensuring the vessels’ suitability for all offshore sectors,” said Mr Couwenberg. “Every operation is unique, of course, but typically, with offshore wind, the focus will be on creating an efficient workflow to process as many turbines as possible.