North Star and its shipbuilding partner, Cochin Shipyard, have begun construction on EnBW’s new hybrid-electric service operations vessel (SOV). The vessel will be used to service the He Dreiht wind farm off the coast of Germany from late 2026.
The first steel was cut on 25 February 2025 at Cochin Shipyard in India, where planning, engineering design, and construction are taking place. The milestone was marked with a ceremony attended by North Star chief technology officer James Bradford.
The SOV will accommodate up to 34 wind technicians as they maintain the wind farm’s 64 turbines, located around 90km northwest of Borkum and 110km west of Helgoland. It will also serve as a logistics hub and warehouse.
Designed to the Vard 407 specification, the vessel features Electric Voith Schneider Propulsion (eVSP) and is designed to be methanol-ready for future fuel use. It is fully equipped with a height-adjustable motion-compensated gangway and a 3D-compensated crane to support offshore operations.
