CMB.TECH-owned Windcat invests in new class of CSOVs

The CMB.TECH-owned company has ordered what it describes as a ‘multipurpose accommodation support vessel (MP-ASV),’ and says the deal includes options for five additional vessels of the type.

To be known as the Innovation Series, the vessels combine the capabilities needed to work in the offshore wind market and in the oil and gas market, and will havbe a large open deck with a subsea crane with fuel efficient operations and comfortable, high-quality accommodation for personnel working in the offshore energy sector for extended periods.

The deal follows collaboration between Windcat and Damen during the development of the Elevation Series CSOVs. However, the owner says the MP-ASVs “are a completely new vessel type, built on the success of the previous designs, with increased capabilities and efficiency.”

While based on the proven design of the CSOVs, and in many cases calling on the support of the same suppliers, the MP-ASVs are larger at 102 m x 20 m and have a deck area of 750 m2, 150-tonne subsea crane and the ability to launch and recover remotely operated vehicles.

The vessels will have a 3,981 kWh battery pack on a DC grid for low emissions performance. This will enable peak shaving, allowing the variable-speed main engines to operate at their most efficient point, for example during dynamic positioning (DP) operations, thereby reducing fuel consumption.

Like the Windcat CSOVs, a key feature of the Innovation Series vessels is the integration of low-carbon fuels. A dual-fuel hydrogen engine makes it possible to run the auxiliary genset on hydrogen.

The vessels will be equipped to accommodate up to 190 people for at least 28 days’ endurance. Whilst offshore, personnel will access offshore infrastructure via a motion-compensated gangway, which can also maintain a fixed connection with other structures.

Windcat and Damen have also placed a lot of emphasis on high-standard accommodation, and have developed a well-thought configuration with appealing aesthetics and use of high-quality materials.

The vessels will be equipped with a DP2 dynamic positioning system and, in addition to azimuthing thrusters will have a tunnel thruster fore and aft so that the vessels can continue to operate on DP2 in the event of a thruster failure. 

Windcat managing director Willem van der Wel said, “We are introducing a new vessel type, not only to our fleet, but also to the market. We have taken the best of two worlds and combined the benefits of a large deck and crane as found on a multipurpose PSV with the comfortable offshore accommodation of an ASV. By building this new type of vessel, with an emphasis on comfort, performance and decarbonisation, we are ensuring that we can continue to support offshore projects safely and effectively.”

Damen will commence construction of the first MP-ASV in February 2026, with delivery expected in 2028. Like the Windcat CSOVs, the MP-ASVs will be built at the Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam.