North Star, ScottishPower Renewables and Siemens Gamesa have launched a competition for local people in East Anglia to suggest the name for a new hybrid-powered service operation vessel (SOV), bound for work at the East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm.
The North Star SOV will accommodate up to 60 of Siemens Gamesa’s wind technicians as they work offshore maintaining all 95 wind turbines at the East Anglia Hub development.
This is one of five SOVs North Star currently has under construction for the offshore wind sector, having already delivered its first three: the Grampian Tyne, Grampian Derwent and Grampian Tees.
The new East Anglia THREE vessel will also carry the ‘Grampian’ first name as homage to the UK’s leading SOV operator’s Aberdeen heritage, where it was established 137 years ago.
The three businesses are now turning to local people and communities to find a winning suggestion for the second part of the ship’s name which acknowledges East Anglia’s rich maritime heritage or its local community.
“This is an exciting opportunity for local schools and individuals to get involved in naming the latest addition to our fleet, which will play a crucial role in maintaining and servicing East Anglia THREE for the next decade.
“This high-performance SOV has been designed to provide ultimate comfort for our client’s offshore team and serve as a logistics base to support their in-field operations,” said Robert Catchpole, North Star COO.
According to Catchpole, the winner will be invited on board one of existing SOVs to see firsthand the craftsmanship and innovative technologies embedded in North Star’s designs, and will also be presented with a special scale model of the new ship bearing its new name.
The new SOV is due to be delivered to Siemens Gamesa to start operations for ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglia THREE development in late 2026.
Once operational, it will be the second largest offshore windfarm in the world, supplying enough green electricity to power the equivalent of more than 1.3 million homes. UK residents can enter the competition via North Star’s website, which remains open until November 30, 2024.