Danish shipowner CBED has successfully acquired two Service Operation Vessels (SOVs), Wind Evolution (formerly Vos Start) and Wind Creation (formerly Vos Stone), from Dutch-based shipping company Vroon. The vessels are scheduled for delivery by the end of Q1 2024.

Following the handover, CBED plans to dry-dock both SOVs for refurbishment, a name change, and painting to align with the CBED fleet design. The vessels will be fully prepared to undertake new projects in walk-to-work, Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (IRM), and subsea operations starting in Q2 2024. The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

CBED emphasizes the growing demand in the offshore wind sector, with projections indicating the installation of 30,000 turbines and foundations by 2030. The annual installation rate is expected to double from 700-1,000 per year to over 2,000 per year from 2025 onward. This surge in demand for offshore logistics vessels, particularly Service Operation Vessels, presents a notable market opportunity.

Daniel Alon, General Manager at CBED, expressed satisfaction with the fleet expansion, stating, “We have been looking for the right opportunity to expand our fleet for a long time, so we are very pleased to have sealed the deal on these two very modern sister vessels. We see a very strong market now, and looking ahead, there will be an even higher demand for high-quality, purpose-built SOVs like Wind Evolution, Wind Creation, and of course our existing Wind Innovation. Adding these two SOVs to our fleet brings new opportunities for CBED to take in more projects – also across the oil and gas sector, where we have previous experience too.”

The newly acquired vessels have the capacity to accommodate 60 clients in comfortable living quarters. Both SOVs are equipped with motion-compensated gangways and Kongsberg DP2 systems, ensuring safe transfers to and from offshore installations. Additionally, the vessels feature 50-tonne AHC (Active Heave Compensated) and 5-tonne 3D motion-compensated cranes. Onboard facilities include offices, meeting rooms, a fitness room, cinema, TV lounge, and gaming facilities to support seamless operations and provide leisure options for crew members.