One of the latest offshore energy support vessels is on its way to the Westermost Rough offshore wind energy project following an official naming ceremony on June 11.
Seacat Ranger is the latest 24 m catamaran to join Seacat Services and will initially complete a cable termination charter on behalf of Nexans at Westermost Rough before continuing on to a string of contracts that will keep her in continuous, active charter until May 2015.
According to Seacat, demand for highly capable, class certified offshore energy support vessels is reaching "unprecedented" levels as a growing number of offshore wind projects reach a critical construction phase.
In addition, developers are demanding more of support vessels as offshore wind energy projects are developed further and further from the shore.
"Nobody doubts the significant pace of industry innovation and growth that has taken place within the offshore energy vessel support market over the past 24 to 36 months," said Ian Baylis, Managing Director, Seacat Services. "While reliable crew transfer support is clearly critical to project delivery and current demand for vessels is unprecedented, as developers become better acquainted with the service provided by vessel operators, the market has become increasingly competitive and the larger, more robust vessels are starting to win the lion's share of challenging project work."
In addition to the currently operational fleet, Seacat's first 26 m catamaran, Seacat Intrepid, is currently in build at the South Boats Isle of Wight yard in Cowes. The vessel, designed with the future requirements of the market in mind, is set to undergo sea trials in September, ahead of full deployment in October 2014.
"The development and design of Seacat Intrepid, driven by the demand we're currently experiencing from within the market, has been assisted by operational feedback from both clients and crew," added Baylis. "As our first 26 m vessel, she's a real game-changer and will be an invaluable tool for developers operating in testing environments such as the deep waters of the German Bight."
Photo: Seacat Ranger is on its way to the Westermost Rough offshore wind energy project
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