GC Rieber Shipping provides update on its low-emissions SOVs

Demand for service operation vessels (SOVs) is ramping up, with many being ordered with energy-saving technology on board to reduce emissions.

In response to high demand, two years ago, GC Rieber Shipping ordered two SOVs from Cemre shipyard in Turkey to operate at remote offshore windfarms in Northern Europe.

These Windkeeper-class vessels will feature SWATH hull designs and be equipped with technology to reduce emissions during transits and when operating in windfarms.

GC Rieber Shipping chief technology officer Gjert Florvag describes the company’s investment in the SOV pair in an interview at Riviera’s Maritime Hybrid, Electric & Hydrogen Fuel Cell Conference, which took place in Bergen, Norway.

He says these SOVs will have hybrid-electric propulsion, with batteries operating as a spinning reserve and for peak shaving alongside the main generators, and will enter service in Q3 2025.

The Corvus Energy-supplied batteries will be charged offshore, enabling these SOVs to operate emissions-free while working within the windfarm.