CSBC-DEME Wind Engineering (CDWE) has initiated an early works contract for a floating heavy lift and installation vessel.
The vessel will be named Green Jade and is slated for delivery in 2022. It will be deployed on local wind farm projects from 2023.
According to the CDWE – a joint venture of Taiwanese shipbuilder CSBC and DEME Offshore – this is a historic moment in Taiwan’s nascent offshore wind energy sector, as the offshore installation vessel is the first of its kind to be built in Taiwan for the local renewable energy market.
It will be equipped with a 4,000-tonne capacity crane and a large deck space, capable of transporting the heaviest monopiles, jackets, wind turbine components and structures.
Environmental considerations are another important element of the vessel design. Green Jade will have dual-fuel engines, a waste heat recovery system that converts heat from the exhaust gases and cooling water to electrical energy, as well as other fuel-saving measures.
Hugo Bouvy, managing director at DEME Offshore, said: “With Green Jade we will be uniquely positioned to meet the requirements of the Taiwanese offshore wind market, and to be an integral part in the country’s offshore wind development ambitions. Taiwan is a pioneering and dynamic renewables market with plenty of opportunities for CDWE.”
The joint venture has already secured contracts that will utilise the vessel. In October 2019, CDWE signed a balance of plant (BOP) preferred supplier agreement for the Hai Long offshore wind project. This was followed by two contracts with Zhong Neng Wind Power Corporation Preparatory Office for the 300 MW Zhong Neng offshore wind farm project.
Bouvy added that these projects played an integral part in CDWE’s decision to invest in an installation vessel.
