Windcat Offshore
Windcat Offshore has been established as a sister company to Windcat Workboats in 2022. It will be a dedicated business focused on CSOV ownership and operations. A CSOV is a vessel that stays in an offshore wind farm for an extended period of up to 30 days, providing maintenance materials and housing technicians in hotel-style accommodation. The business will build on the success and competencies of Windcat Workboats and directly benefit from expertise within the wider CMB group, not least in the management of larger vessels. Whilst a newly established company, the business has already commenced the recruitment of several CSOV experts and will continue to do so over the short and medium term. Windcat Offshore will deliver the first CSOV in the Elevation Series into operations in 2025.
Elevation Series
The “Elevation Series” CSOVs have been designed by Damen Shipyards in cooperation with Windcat and CMB.TECH. The result is a revolutionary new design with increased capabilities and flexibility compared to existing vessels. The vessels are 87 m long, 20 m wide, can accommodate 120 people on board and will be powered by hydrogen.
The CSOVs will be built at Ha Long Shipyard, Vietnam, and will be delivered to Windcat Offshore, a new business unit within Windcat, which will focus on offshore energy commissioning and services. Initially, two vessels have been ordered with options for further vessels.
The Elevation Series will be equipped with the latest gangway, crane, thrusters, hybrid battery technology and offshore charging capability, among other industry-leading features to be announced soon.
To significantly reduce the vessels’ CO2 footprint, Windcat and CMB.TECH, will provide the same dual fuel hydrogen technology for the Elevation Series as on board of the Hydrocat, the world’s first hydrogen powered CTV (Crew Transfer Vessel). This approach will also make a critical contribution to the development of rules and regulations related to the use of hydrogen as a fuel in medium-sized vessels.
