Edda Wind’s new Service Operation Vessel Edda Goelo (C416) was launched at Astilleros Balenciaga shipyard in Spain on Friday.
Edda Goelo will serve as a mother vessel for wind turbine technicians as they perform maintenance work on offshore wind turbines.
When completed, the new SOV will start operations for wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa at Iberdrola’s offshore wind farm in the Saint-Brieuc Bay off France in the third quarter of 2023. The vessel has a five-year contract with Siemens Gamesa, and its first assignment will be at the Saint Brieuc wind farm.
Unlike the other Edda Wind vessels, which are normally painted orange and yellow, the Edda Goelo will be painted blue and white, in accordance with the Siemens Gamesa's profile colors.
The vessel can accommodate up to 40 maintenance technicians from Siemens Gamesa and Iberdrola, plus approximately 20 crew members from Edda Wind.
"The technicians perform scheduled maintenance activities and any other matters that may arise during the two weeks they spend at the wind farm. After those two weeks, the vessel takes the technicians back to shore and they are replaced by another team that spends another two weeks at the wind farm, so there are always technicians servicing the wind farm," Edda Wind explained.
The launching ceremony in Zumaia, Balenciaga Shipyard's headquarters, was attended by representatives of the shipyard, Siemens Gamesa, Iberdrola and Edda Wind.
"Launching is always a special moment in the building process and a milestone to celebrate. We are very pleased with launching our second SOV built by Astilleros Balenciaga, and to successfully witness Edda Wind’s second launch this year. Once again, we deliver on our ambitions for the company and the industry as a whole, Kenneth Walland, CEO of Edda Wind, said.
"This is Edda Wind’s first SOV to go on a long-term charter to Siemens Gamesa, and we look forward to working with one of the key players within offshore wind," Walland added.
Edda Wind has a newbuild program of eight vessels in addition to Edda Breeze delivered in May this year and Edda Passat and Edda Mistral delivered in 2018. Balenciaga will deliver the first SOV, “Edda Brint” in August.
The Saint Brieuc wind farm, where the SOV will have its debut, with 62 SG 8.0-167 DD turbines, will have a capacity of 496 MW, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 835,000 people
Siemens Gamesa will maintain the Saint Brieuc wind farm for a minimum of 10 years. The contract includes, among other things, maintenance personnel, spare parts, and remote-control service.
"We are delighted to be able to have the Edda Goelo for the maintenance of the Saint Brieuc wind farm, which we are going to install for Iberdrola, and that this vessel has been built in Bizkaia, which demonstrates, once again, Siemens Gamesa's commitment to the Basque Country," says John Paul Larrañeta, CEO of Services for Southern Europe and Africa at Siemens Gamesa.