Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) has signed a time charter contract with Siemens Gamesa for a crew transport vessel (CTV) for an offshore wind power generation facility.
The facility is being developed at Ishikari Bay New Port by Green Power Ishikari, which plans to construct, operate, and maintain 14 offshore wind turbines in a sea area of around 500 hectares.
The CTV, which will be owned by NYK and managed by Hokuyo Kaiun, an NYK Group company, will transport workers between the offshore work site facilities and the onshore base for maintenance work after the wind turbines are in operation.
A stability-equipped aluminium catamaran, designed for high-speed operation and measuring between 20 to 40 metres in length, is utilised for transport of technicians and crews to and from offshore wind farms during their construction, maintenance, and operation.
This is the first CTV operation by the NYK Group in Japan, and the company aims to use it as a foothold for further expansion into the offshore wind power generation business.
According to NYK, the market for CTVs is expected to grow to over 100 vessels in about 20 years, starting around 2026, when the construction of offshore wind power generation facilities in Japan is expected to begin in earnest.
The ship will be constructed at KHI Sakaide Works and delivered in 2026.
