New hybrid SOV for North Star

This is the eighth hybrid offshore wind vessel in the organisation’s renewables fleet, and a notable benchmark on its journey to add 40 SOVs to the business by 2040. This latest hybrid is diesel-electric with the ability to run on methanol in the future. 

This latest win in the North Sea means the firm will now support two of the world’s largest windfarms, having already delivered three of four planned SOVs to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

“This marks our first SOV contract in the southern North Sea, which will be serviced by our talented operational team stationed strategically in the region to provide dedicated support throughout this new long-term partnership,” said North Star chief operating officer Robert Catchpole.

“This achievement not only underscores our commitment to driving operational excellence, but also solidifies our position as a key player in project management, delivering multiple vessels simultaneously.”

Located off England’s east coast, the East Anglia THREE wind farm will have a total capacity of 1,400MW, generating green electricity to power the equivalent of more than 1.3 million homes.

“This is a great example of the opportunities windfarms like ours can create for local supply chains and underlines the East of England’s position as a global centre of excellence for the offshore wind industry,” said Pedro Fernandez, ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglia THREE project director.

The VARD 4 19 SOV is being built by Cochin Shipyard. It can accommodate 60 crew supporting maintenance operations across the 95 wind turbines at the THREE wind farm and has a height adjustable motion compensated gangway.

The new SOV is due to be delivered to Siemens Gamesa in late 2026. The contract will be front run by one of North Star’s two commissioning SOVs, the CSOV Kestrel from April the same year.