Danish energy company Ørsted has commissioned its second service operation vessel (SOV), Wind of Hope, to support maintenance activities at its offshore wind farms in the German North Sea, the company said on Tuesday.
The 84-metre-long vessel joins its sister ship, Wind of Change, which has been operating in the region since 2019. Together, the vessels are tasked with servicing Ørsted’s 337 wind turbines located off the German coast.
“With its design and individual technical capabilities, the Wind of Hope is perfectly suited to efficient and sustainable maintenance operations as well as the needs of our employees,” said Thijs Schless, operations manager at Ørsted in Norddeich.
The launch comes amid a significant scale-up in Ørsted’s offshore wind capacity in the region. “Due to our expansion in recent years, the scope of our installed wind power capacity in the German North Sea has almost doubled,” Schless added. “The new service vessel will help us to continue to ensure energy generation at the high level we achieve today.”
According to Ørsted, the Wind of Hope features a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system, supported by a battery pack aimed at reducing emissions. The vessel also includes advanced technologies such as a motion-compensated gangway for safer transfers during rough seas, and a dynamic positioning system that maintains its location with a deviation of no more than one metre.
The SOV offers 90 single-occupancy cabins with private bathrooms and windows, aiming to improve onboard comfort for technicians and crew. Fresh meals are prepared in a canteen with space for 40 people, and the ship is equipped with its own freshwater system.
Like its counterpart, the Wind of Hope will dock at the port of Emden every two weeks for crew changes and resupply operations.
