Turbine Transfers Ltd will increase its fleet to 20 vessels by the end of 2011. With the fast growing development of major offshore wind farms in Britain, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Denmark, Captain Mark Meade of Anglesey UK-based Holyhead Towing, has seen the potential for larger fleets of crew transfer vessels dedicated to the offshore wind farm industry. Often customers now require four or five boats at the larger and further offshore sites, and that demand cannot easily be supplied by the smaller companies in the field.
Mark Meade established Turbine Transfers Ltd in 2008 as the Marine Renewables division of the Holyhead Group. Since then Turbine Transfers has grown quickly to employ 30 people and operates an expanding fleet of purpose built wind farm support catamarans. The catamarans are built by South Boats Special Projects division, based on the Isle of Wight. Eight vessels in the range 39.3 ft to 65.6 ft are already in operation.
Colwyn Bay, the ninth boat, a 59 ft aluminum WFSV has just been delivered, and due in June is a second 65.6 ft craft, another 59 ft in July and two more boats in December, giving Turbine Transfers a fleet of 13 vessels by the end of 2010. More boats are under order which will bring the total to 20 vessels by the end of 2011.
All of the vessels are powered by twin diesel engines driving gearboxes coupled to twin Ultra Dynamics waterjets propulsion systems. This package offers the vessel a fast sprint speed and fast cruising speed, as well as the maneuverability and the high thrust required when deployed at the wind farm in difficult sea conditions.
Turbine Transfers’ vessels are currently deployed in the UK, Belgium, Germany and Denmark. Colwyn Bay went directly to work for Van Oord Offshore at Belgium’s largest offshore wind farm, Belwind, some 46 km off the Belgian coast at Bligh Bank.
Mark Meade went on to say that building the larger 18m and 20m boats made sense, as they have a larger operational window in difficult sea conditions, and are particularly suited to the sites further from port. Being larger they are also more comfortable for both transiting technicians and their crew.
All of the vessels are powered by twin diesel engines driving gearboxes coupled to twin Ultra Dynamics waterjets propulsion systems. This package offers the vessel a fast sprint speed and fast cruising speed, as well as the maneuverability and the high thrust required when deployed at the wind farm in difficult sea conditions.
Turbine Transfers’ vessels are currently deployed in the UK, Belgium, Germany and Denmark. Colwyn Bay went directly to work for Van Oord Offshore at Belgium’s largest offshore wind farm, Belwind, some 46 km off the Belgian coast at Bligh Bank.
Mark Meade went on to say that building the larger 18m and 20m boats made sense, as they have a larger operational window in difficult sea conditions, and are particularly suited to the sites further from port. Being larger they are also more comfortable for both transiting technicians and their crew.
