Offshore wind developer Ørsted and Taiwanese vessel company Ta San Shang Marine Co. Ltd. held a ceremony in Taichung on Tuesday to christen and name the first-ever purpose-built Service Operation Vessel (SOV) "TSS Pioneer" in the Asia-Pacific region.
The vessel, built in Vietnam, will be used to service the 900 MW Greater Changhua 1 & 2a offshore wind farms in Taiwan. "TSS Pioneer” is the first Taiwan-flagged SOV customized to meet the specific requirements of the Greater Changhua offshore wind farms and Taiwan Strait conditions.
Andreas Munk-Janson, Head of Operations for Ørsted Asia-Pacific, says: “The deployment of the bespoke SOV, TSS Pioneer, is at the core of our capabilities to perform reliable and efficient O&M services to the highest levels.
Ørsted has recruited and trained an outstanding Taiwanese O&M team who will help fulfil local energy ambitions in the decades ahead. Ørsted will bring world-class O&M expertise and capabilities to Taiwan and Asia Pacific, delivering the highest performance, quality and reliability for wind farms, whilst providing a safe working environment.”
Home away from home
There are also recreational lounges, fitness facilities, and, Ørsted says, a variety of healthy catering for the health and well-being of the people onboard.
The SOV is 85.48 meters long, 19.5 meters wide, has a maximum scantling draught of 5.6 meters, and can safely withstand wave heights of up to 2.5 meters. It has a deadweight of 2,611.6 tonnes for storing supplies and equipment. The vessel is equipped with several advanced technologies, such as a motion-compensated gangway to enable technicians to “walk to work,” a dynamic positioning system, and a 3D motion-compensated crane to mitigate wind-induced motions and strengthen work safety and efficiency.