Ulstein has added the HX121 heavy transport vessel to its design portfolio.
The company believes its latest design is a better fit for the future demands of the offshore wind energy market, where as much as 380 GW of capacity is lined up for installation across 32 markets in the next decade. New tonnage is needed to transport the foundations and wind turbines from fabrication locations to marshalling ports or offshore fields.
Dolf Manschot, project manager at Ulstein Design & Solutions, said the HX121 is the latest and largest design in its heavy transport portfolio, and its “Ulstein blended design” method was used to optimise dimensions and service speed for efficiently transporting large wind components.
“This design method enabled us to minimise the fuel consumption per transported component,” he said. A further focus for the company was a focus on the use of ro-ro technology.
“To fulfil the market demand for low-emission vessels, the HX121 is designed to also operate on methanol fuel. Powering the vessel with green methanol would dramatically reduce the carbon footprint, while e-methanol could even reduce the carbon footprint to zero. As a marine fuel methanol has many advantages, it is the safest alternative fuel, easy to store and relatively inexpensive to produce,” added Manschot.
The design features the company’s patented X-Bow to improve seakeeping and maximise deck space. The vessel can also be equipped with DP2 seakeeping capability.
