North Star has signed a memorandum of understanding with MO4, Principle Power, SMST, Vard, and Voith Group to establish a dedicated working group aimed at fast-tracking the design and testing of a new SOV concept for floating offshore wind.
Together, the six organisations have committed to developing a detailed, high-performance ship design to meet the needs of commercial-scale projects. Project participants and their roles
- North Star will lead the vessel design process, ensuring that logistics and service needs are fully integrated to meet real-world demands in the field.
- Digital twin and AI decision support software firm, MO4 will be responsible for assessing the workability of the proposed SOV concept, focusing on vessel motions, gangway performance, and the movement range of the floating wind turbine foundations.
- Principle Power will provide data on the range of motions expected from WindFloat platforms and define operational use cases for inspection, maintenance, and repair.
- SMST will offer its expertise in gangway technology, providing data on different walk-to-work options, workability parameters, and solutions for landing height adjustments to ensure safe and efficient personnel transfers.
- Vard will combine inputs from all partners to develop a cohesive floating offshore wind ship design, ensuring every aspect is optimised for performance and workability.
- Voith Group will contribute propulsion options, selecting the most suitable dynamic positioning systems to maintain stability and performance in the challenging environment of floating offshore wind.
