Construction of He Dreiht service operation vessel gets underway

The hybrid-electric SOV is due to start work on the He Dreiht offshore windfarm off the coast of Germany at the end of 2026.

The newbuild will provide accommodation in the field for up to 34 wind technicians as they maintain the development’s 64 wind turbines, which are located around 90 km northwest of the island of Borkum and 110 km west of Helgoland. The SOV will also act as a logistics hub and warehouse.

The ship is of Vard 407 design and has been tailored to meet EnBW’s specific requirements. It has electric Voith Schneider propulsion (eVSP) and is designed to use methanol as a fuel in future. The vessel will be equipped with a height-adjustable motion-compensated gangway and 3D-compensated crane.

In October 2024, North Star also secured a second award with EnBW, for its first commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV), to front run ahead of the SOV’s arrival. Tailored for use during the commissioning phase, the CSOV, Grampian Kestrel, will provide accommodation and logistics to support construction and commissioning work in 2025. Following this, Grampian Kestrel will lead EnBW’s operations and maintenance activities until the newbuild SOV is delivered.