Arne Blystad's Offshore Heavy Transport (OHT) has signed a final contract for up to four new wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs) in China.
The company said its wholly-owned subsidiary Vind Offshore Installation 1 has finalised a deal with China Merchants Industry Holdings for two firm next-generation ships, with two options.
OHT announced a preliminary agreement for the units in July.
The company has now said the first of the vessels will be delivered in the second quarter of 2023. The delivery date for the second WTIV is described as "flexible".
The firm ship are being named Vind 1 and 2 so far. They are GustoMSC NG-14000XL-G designs, built specifically to install the next generation of offshore wind turbines and extra-large monopiles.
They will have a telescopic crane with a maximum capacity of 2,500 tonnes and a lifting height of 165 metres.
No price has been revealed, but the latest WTIVs can cost upwards of $300m.
Hybrid design
"Special emphasis has been placed on providing a class-leading environmental footprint by way of energy and heat recovery, battery hybrid solutions as well as a sophisticated electrical and control system, reducing CO2 emissions by 20% compared to similar units," OHT said.
The vessels will also be prepared for fuel cells powered by hydrogen to be installed to cut emissions even further.
OHT has identified an increasing number of opportunities in the offshore wind segment, characterised by high technical and operational complexity.
Since 2017, the company has been targeting a leading position in this market, resulting in several contracts to transport offshore wind foundations, the company said.
OHT's new foundation installation vessel, Alfa Lift, is due next year from the same Chinese yard.
This week, Norwegian group OIM revealed it had ordered an LNG-fuelled WTIV at CIMC Raffles in China, as owners step up the chase for offshore wind farm contracts, spurred by a likely lack of vessel capacity at current ordering rates.
