The first Crew Transfer Vessel designed and manufactured in France
As the installation of the wind turbines on the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm is underway, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and Tidal Transit Limited are pleased to announce the delivery to GE Renewable Energy of Inno’vent, the first Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) dedicated to the transfer of technicians and their equipment between the coast and the wind farm for turbine maintenance. Louis Dreyfus Armateurs paid particular attention to the choice of local partners and ensured that the most virtuous solutions were implemented.
The innovative design of this new unit was created by Mauric, a naval architecture firm based in Nantes and a member of Neopolia, while the construction is being carried out by the French shipyard OCEA, a leader in the design, construction and maintenance of aluminium ships, with production sites in La Rochelle, Les Sables d’Olonne, Fontenay-le-Comte and Saint-Nazaire.
Her mission is to ensure the transfer of technicians between the LD Tide maintenance base located in La Turballe and the park for the maintenance of the wind turbines and the electrical substation.
Inno’vent is the first of two CTVs ordered by GE Renewable energy entirely designed and built in France. They will sail under the French flag, 1st register. These ships are equipped with a hybrid propulsion system with batteries and a foil to reduce fuel consumption and improve performance. These two devices will reduce CO2 emissions by about 15%.
“Strongly committed to the development of marine renewable energy, we are a partner of GE Renewable Energy, the world’s leading industrial player in onshore and offshore wind energy. This commitment translates into the design, construction and operation of innovative, multifunctional hybrid vessels, offering the best in comfort and safety to crews during installation and maintenance operations on offshore wind farms.” – Gaël Cailleaux, Managing director, marine renewable energy of the LOUIS DREYFUS ARMATEURS Group
As a reminder, in December 2020, GE Renewable Energy (GE) selected Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and Tidal Transit for two CTVs for the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm. Construction of the two CTVs started in 2021 and commissioning is scheduled for summer 2022. The launch of the first CTV took place on Thursday 28 April 2022, with representatives of the French shipyard OCEA, GE Renewable Energy, EDF Renouvelables and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs in attendance. The delivery of Inno’vent took place on Tuesday August 9th. EDF Renouvelables, the wind farm operator, has also placed an order for a third CTV sistership, which is expected to be delivered in the fall in La Turballe.
Features
- Length: 26.70m
- Width : 9.40m
- Draught : 1.80 m
- Passengers : 24 maintenance technicians
- 3 crew members
- Service speed : 25 knots
- Cargo capacity : 10 tonnes
- Propulsion : IMO tier III
- Technical innovations / Environnemental impact:
Semi-swath hull shape, providing better seakeeping performance to facilitate the transfer of technicians in rough sea conditions (2 metres HS) and to improve comfort in transit - Aluminium construction and the addition of a T-Foil to reduce fuel consumption
- Connection to shore power during stopovers
This contract is a success for the Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group in the field of renewable energy and confirms its position as a major player in this activity. A total of three vessels will be operated by LD Tide on the park.