ESNA and Strategic Marine (“SM”) have signed an agreement to develop a SES CTV (Surface Effect Ship Crew Transfer Vessel) for offshore wind applications. The plan is to start building the first offshore windfarm SES CTV during the fourth quarter of 2024.
The agreement is based on the parties’ experience in working together for three SES crew boats for oil and gas, due for completion this year. The vessel type offers the combination of higher speed, increased operational wave height and reduced fuel oil consumption.
The SES concept for crew transport offers a shorter transit time and thus more time for work. The active SES motion damping system provides better seakeeping and higher passenger comfort than that possible with conventional monohulls and catamarans. It is also used at the wind turbines to allow turbine transfers in higher wave heights. The low SES resistance offers fuel savings and reduced emissions in combination with the increased speed.
“We are delighted to formalize this agreement and look forward to continue working with ESNA in order to expand the portfolio of SES designs and offer vessels with this very exciting technology to a wider range of our customers,” says Mr Eng Yew Chan, CEO at Strategic Marine.
“Strategic Marine was a natural choice for ESNA to team up with to further commercialize our technology and designs after having worked with them on other projects and experiencing first hand their excellent shipbuilding capabilities,” says Mr Trygve Halvorsen Espeland, Naval Architect and Co-Founder of ESNA.
SM has a long and established track record building CTVs for offshore wind with 36 vessels delivered since 2012. The SES experts in ESNA have worked for more than 40 years with the design, building, construction and operation of SES, and have a deep understanding of the offshore wind industry.
