The 2-year contract will see the vessels supporting the offshore wind farm throughout its operations and maintenance (O&M) phases. The two 23-metre jet propulsion catamarans will be based out of Wick Harbour in Scotland, with Seacat Mischief arriving on site in mid-August, and Seacat Magic in April 2019. They will become the third and fourth Seacat Services vessels to work at Beatrice, joining Seacat Resolute, which has just commenced a separate 9-month construction charter for Siemens Gamesa, and Seacat Intrepid, which remains on charter for project developer Beatrice Offshore Wind Limited (BOWL).
Beatrice is Scotland’s first major offshore wind farm. As such, it is considered a milestone development and it delivers an opportunity to set a benchmark when it comes to bringing new generation capacity online efficiently. In particular, flexible and versatile vessel support is required to overcome the technical and logistical challenges of the time-sensitive commissioning and early operational phases, ensuring that a wind farm gets up and running on budget and on schedule, and then performs effectively over the long term.
This charter not only extends Seacat Services’ presence at Beatrice; it also extends the vessel operator’s relationship with the Siemens Gamesa service team, following a 2-year deal signed last year to support O&M activity at the 336 MW Galloper Wind Farm. Seacat Services’ crews and shore-based team are therefore familiar, both with the demands of the project site, and the technical and logistical requirements of supporting Siemens Gamesa throughout initial operations.
“When it comes to the make-up of an offshore wind project team, consistency and familiarity is a real advantage” said Ian Baylis, Managing Director, Seacat Services. “It ensures that lessons learnt are transferred effectively and, in turn, that efficiency continues to improve from site to site and project to project. As we continue to work at Beatrice, we’re looking forward to building on our existing relationships with Siemens Gamesa, BOWL and the wider team based out of Wick.”
Craig Morton, Chartering Manager at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), added that it is essential that technicians get around the site, safely, quickly, and in the best possible condition to carry out the work that ultimately keeps the turbines performing at their full potential.
Seacat Mischief and Seacat Magic are two of the most capable OESVs serving the UK and European offshore wind markets. They have recently returned from Ørsted’s Race Bank project, where, together with Seacat Courageous and Seacat Volunteer, they safely completed more than 27,000 crew and equipment transfers, covering a total distance exceeding two trips around the globe.
Image: Seacat Mischief (Seacat Services)
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