deugro and Siemens Gamesa have entered into a long-term charter agreement for two newbuild vessels – Rotra Futura and Rotra Horizon – in cooperation with Amasus Offshore.
The vessels will be built at Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard in China and are scheduled for delivery in spring and summer of 2025. They will build upon the existing Rotra concept (Rotra Mare and Rotra Vente) that is customised for transporting offshore wind turbine components.
The Rotra concept, according to deugro, has proven to be successful in reducing risk, loading time and costs by utilising a unique ro-ro and gantry system when transporting offshore wind turbine components. The new vessels have been designed to accommodate the increasing size and weight of the next generations of offshore wind turbine components and, at the same time, to ensure best-in-class cargo intake and operational flexibility.
Rotra Futura and Rotra Horizon will measure 167.6 m x 26 m, with the deckhouse and accommodation placed forward to ensure optimal cargo intake without any line-of-sight limitations. The vessels will be fitted with a stern ro-ro ramp, three Liebherr cranes and a unique gantry system, allowing stowage of blades in three tiers.
Reducing the overall carbon footprint was one of the main drivers in the design phase and conceptual development of these new vessels. Energy consumption has been reduced thanks to an aerodynamically and hydro-optimised hull shape, a low-resistance hull coating, and a Wärtsilä diesel engine with a 15 percent lower consumption and carbon footprint compared to today’s standards.
In addition, an efficient power train with hybrid propulsion system and an exhaust gas cleaning system meeting the highest IMO Tier 3 standards have been integrated into the new vessels, with special attention also being paid to waste heat recovery.
“The aspect of reducing the carbon footprint will be even more important in the future of the offshore wind industry,” said Hans Henrik Groen, branch manager and managing director of deugro Danmark. “Being and staying at the forefront of wind energy industry requirements build the base of our joint success.”
Thomas Mortensen, head of offshore project transportation at Siemens Gamesa, added: “In Rotra Futura and Rotra Horizon we have the right assets in place to meet future challenges and to perform essential operations. With the expansion and development of our cooperation, we are looking forward to welcoming these two new vessels. Alongside strategic partnerships with other key suppliers, this new combined fleet will ensure that we have a strong foundation from which we can execute and deliver in line with our operational expectations.”
According to Christian Johansen, global commodity manager for ports and transportation in Siemens Gamesa’s offshore business unit, the company has a record order backlog and will be installing a significant number of wind turbines at sea with increasingly larger and more complex components.
