Vattenfall has signed a contract with French shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs for up to three large Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) to support operations and maintenance at offshore wind farms in the North Sea from 2027.
The 90-metre vessels will enhance servicing capabilities for both current and planned projects. Vattenfall currently uses smaller Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) for daily technician transport when sailing times are short. However, for more remote wind farms, larger SOVs are preferable, as they are designed to remain on-site for several days. These vessels provide hotel-standard accommodation, emphasising comfort and relaxation during standby periods. Each vessel will accommodate 60 people, excluding crew.
The vessels will be built, owned, and operated by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and registered under the French flag. The first SOV will be deployed in mid-2027 for the DanTysk and Sandbank offshore wind farms, each with a capacity of 288 MW. The second vessel will serve the Nordlicht 1 and 2 wind farms, co-owned by BASF, which have a combined capacity of 1.6 GW. The Nordlicht cluster is pending a final investment decision. A third, optional SOV is planned for future Vattenfall projects.
