NYK Line has ordered a crew transfer vessel (CTV) for offshore wind industry from Kosaba Shipbuilding Corporation, the first such order the company placed to a local Japanese shipyard.
Following delivery in late 2025 or 2026, the vessel will be used to transport technicians to construct and maintain offshore wind power generation facilities offshore Japan.
The vessels will be 28 meters long, and capable of accommodating 12 passengers.
By expanding its fleet of CTVs, NYK aims to play an active role in promoting sustainable energy. The company also aims to contribute to revitalizing the Japanese shipbuilding industry and marine industries, as well as have a positive impact on regional industry development and job creation.
The vessel will be the third CTV owned by NYK. In Japan, the vessel will be the second NYK-owned CTV, following Rera As, which was delivered in April 2023 and is engaged in the Ishikari Bay New Port offshore wind farm off Hokkaido, Japan.
A CTV engaged in maintaining offshore wind power facilities in Japan for an extended period requires a high transfer capacity.
In constructing the vessel, NYK will domestically produce the hull form based on a design from Sweden-based Northern Offshore Service, aiming to make it the core hull form of NYK.
Northern Offshore Service is one of the largest CTV operators in Europe and a subsidiary of Northern Offshore Group, which operates in the European region, with which NYK formed a partnership in 2020.
In Japan, the construction of offshore wind power facilities is expected to take off around 2026, and demand for CTVs is expected to grow.
As stated in the NYK medium-term management plan announced in March 2023, the company plans to invest around $286 million (43 billion yen) in the offshore wind power value chain by fiscal 2026, and the construction of this vessel is part of that plan.
NYK will continue to seek to place CTV orders with local shipyards in Japan.