The construction of two new offshore vessels for FRS Windcat Polska is progressing: the hulls of the crew transfer units have now been launched at ALU International Shipyard.
The Polish operator of crew transfer vessels, FRS Windcat Polska, ordered the two units from ALU International Shipyard last summer. An option for the construction of further vessels was also agreed.
FRS Windcat ships are H2-ready
The CTVs on order are the latest MK5 ship design from Windcat. It is based on the earlier MK3.5 H2 and MK4 series and was specially developed by Windcat. This larger vessel type has optimized seaworthiness and a larger deck area. The special feature of the newbuildings is that they are equipped with H2-Ready technology, which will enable future operation with hydrogen.
The ships are 27 meters long and have a continuous deck area of 80 m². With an optimized hull shape, increased width and larger freeboard, the CTVs are also suitable for use in more remote and larger offshore wind farms.
The newbuilds can optionally be delivered with a fully installed hydrogen system from CMB.TECH, which can hold up to 458 kg of hydrogen per refueling process. Alternatively, the dual-fuel hydrogen system can be retrofitted at any time.
A joint venture with over 20 years of experience
The subsidiary FRS Windcat Polska, founded in 2018, is part of the joint venture between FRS and Windcat. Together, the companies have more than 20 years of experience in the offshore wind power sector and operate around 60 crew transfer vessels (CTVs) throughout Europe. A local team has been established in Poland in recent years.
Construction of the two aluminum hulls began in April 2024 at the ALU International Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland. The company has more than 30 years of experience in aluminium shipbuilding and specializes in the production of all types of maritime aluminium structures. The approximately 11,000 m² production facility employs around 150 people.
