A total of four new models will be delivered to FRS Windcat this year and next. The MK5 series offers a number of improvements over its predecessors.
The German CTV operator FRS Windcat Offshore Logistics (FWOL) is further expanding its fleet: four additional transfer vessels will increase the capacities of the Flensburg-based joint venture.
Two new vessels will join the fleet this year. The Windcat 61 was delivered in November, and its sister ship Windcat 62 is scheduled to follow in December. Next year, numbers 64 and 65 will be added to the CTV (Crew Transfer Vessel) fleet.
The four vessels belong to Windcat’s new MK5 series. According to the company, it represents a consistent further development that combines the strengths of the proven MK3.5 design with the advantages of the larger MK4 type. The CTVs can accommodate 24 passengers and three crew members. The service speed is specified at 25 knots, with a maximum speed of 30 knots. They are 27.4 m long and feature a full-length working deck in the foredeck area. The hull shape and higher freeboard are designed to offer more comfort for crews and passengers compared to previous models.
The first vessels of this type are already in service in various offshore wind projects in Europe. FRS Windcat describes them as particularly reliable, seaworthy and fuel-efficient. The newbuilds will be equipped with controllable pitch propellers (CPP) from manufacturer Servogear; together with the hull shape, this is intended to ensure lower fuel consumption and high manoeuvrability, even under demanding offshore conditions.
Future operation with hydrogen
The ships will also be delivered “hydrogen-ready”: MAN’s engines and the other systems on board are prepared for the injection of hydrogen, thus enabling future operation with the alternative and emission-free fuel. The hulls of the four ships were manufactured at Alu-International in Gdansk, Poland, with the final outfitting taking place at the Dok-en-Sheepsbouw Woudsend and Neptune shipyards in Hardinxveld (both in the Netherlands).
“With the newbuilds in the MK5 class, we are once again setting new standards in terms of efficiency and reliability for the offshore wind industry. At the same time, we are well prepared for future challenges with alternative drives,” says Willem van der Wel, Managing Director of FWOL.
Tim Kunstmann, also Managing Director of FWOL, adds: “The expansion of our fleet allows us to respond even more flexibly to the needs of our customers. We offer state-of-the-art CTVs perfectly tailored to the requirements of today’s and tomorrow’s offshore wind farms.”
FWOL is a joint venture between Flensburg-based FRS Offshore and Windcat Workboats. It operates around 60 CTVs, which are used for transfers in offshore wind farms and in the oil and gas industry.
