U.K.-based Tidal Transit said it has placed orders with Singapore's Penguin Shipyard for two new battery-ready crew transfer vessels (CTV) amid growing demand for green crew transport in the offshore wind sector.
The company announced on Tuesday that it has ordered two Incat Crowther-designed WindFlex-27 CTV vessels, each with capacity for 24 passengers.
The vessels will be fitted with quad Volvo Penta IPS30 propulsion—the same as is used in Tidal Transit's eGinny 100% electric retrofit project—due to the system's fuel efficiency as well as the ability to be paired with retrofitted battery packs in the future, Tidal Transit said, noting that the newbuilds will serve as frontrunners for its all electric future builds scheduled for delivery in 2026.
Leo Hambro, commercial director at Tidal Transit, said, “Offshore wind requires high-specification crew transport to support its rapid expansion and journey towards decarbonization. We’re keeping the electric dream alive by providing the industry with fuel efficient, retrofittable frontrunner CTVs right now, while at the same time committing to the delivery of zero-carbon, battery-powered vessels in the near future.”
Supported with £6.3 million from the Zero Emissions Vessel and Infrastructure (ZEVI) program, the £8 million eGinny retrofit project will see the old propulsion system aboard the 20-meter diesel-powered Mercurio vessel Ginny Louise replaced with quad Volvo Penta IPS 30 propulsion paired with fully electric Danfoss motors and over 2 MWh of Corvus onboard battery capacity. The retrofitted vessel is slated to operate at a UK offshore wind farm and will charge via an onshore charging station as well as an offshore wind turbine-based charger.
Additionally, Tidal Transit noted it has secured the first charter for its newest vessel, Arabella Jane. The Windflex 27 CTV with quad IPS started work supporting operations at the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Ørsted’s Hornsea 2 in the U.K. North Sea.
“Having previously serviced weather masts in the area over a decade ago with our 20m Mercurio fleet, we’ve come full circle and are delighted to be back at Hornsea, now home to the world’s largest offshore wind farm,” Hambro said. “This charter-before-arrival agreement with Ørsted has given us strong encouragement and underscores the industry’s confidence in our reliability and reputation for delivering top-tier, energy efficient and low-risk logistics solutions.”