Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has performed the steel-cutting ceremony for a hybrid service operation vessel (SOV) it is building for North Star Shipping.
Hybrid-electric SOV
The 68m hybrid-electric Vard 4 07 is the first of two SOVs that CSL is building for North Star. The DP2 class vessel will be powered by a combination of three diesel main generating sets from Yanmar and high-capacity Li-ion batteries. The vessel is being fitted with Voith electric-cycloidal propulsors and the walk-to-work system from SMST. It is expected to revolutionize service, maintenance and operating tasks because it has been designed to satisfy the demanding requirements of the offshore wind sector. This walk-to-work vessel will accommodate 54 people including specialists and crew in charge of wind turbine maintenance. It will also operate as a warehouse and logistics center.
Steel-cutting ceremony
The ceremony was officiated by James Bradford, chief technology officer at North Star Shipping, who initiated the cutting of the first steel in the presence of Sreejith K Narayanan, director of operations at CSL and Harikrishnan S, executive director of shipbuilding at CSL, along with other senior officials from CSL and representatives from the classification society DNV.
In related news, Cochin Shipyard recently carried out the steel cutting for the first vessel in a series of two Sea Shuttle zero-emission feeder container vessels being built for logistics company Samskip. Click here to read the full story.