ESVAGT Delivers Deutsche Bucht Service Vessel to MHI Vestas

With construction nearly complete at Deutsch Bucht Offshore Wind Farm in the German Exclusive Economic Zone, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind received the purpose-built ‘ESVAGT Albert Betz’ Service Operation Vessel (SOV) today at a christening ceremony in Eemshaven.

“With ‘ESVAGT Albert Betz’, MHI Vestas and ESVAGT have raised the bar once again in the efficient operation of an offshore wind farm,” said MHI Vestas Chief Operations Officer, Flemming Ougaard. “Building on our shared experience, we’ve developed a state-of-the-art ship that will facilitate safe and effective service operations for the next 15 years at Deutsche Bucht.”

The latest SOV from ESVAGT will be in service to the project’s 33 V164-8.4 MW turbines beginning in September, having been designed specifically for the task at hand.

“In the design of the ship, we have utilized both ESVAGT’s extensive knowledge of SOV and experience from the work in offshore wind farms,” said ESVAGT Project Director, Gerner Eskelund. “We have optimized the design so that the ship is adapted and tailored specifically to the tasks that await.”

ESVAGT and MHI Vestas have been collaborating since 2008, with the newly-inaugurated ‘ESVAGT Albert Betz’ joining ‘ESVAGT Mercator’ which services the offshore wind farms, Nobelwind and Belwind, in Belgium.

Deutsche Bucht is Canada-based power producer, Northland Power’s, third offshore wind farm. The wind farm, located over 100 kilometres from the German mainland, will supply enough renewable energy to meet the needs of approximately 328,000 households per year.

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind is a joint venture between Vestas Wind Systems A/S 50% and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) 50%. The company’s focus is to design, manufacture, install and service wind turbines for the offshore wind industry. The company aims to create sustainable value through offshore wind power by driving capital and operating savings and increasing the power output of wind turbines. An innovative force in offshore wind since its inception in 2014, the company is guided by its founding principles of collaboration, trust, technology and commitment.