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Case study: Offshore Turbine Services

Mon, 20 August 2012

Case study: Offshore Turbine Services

Company profile
Offshore Turbine Services (OTS) provide crew, fuel, cargo and equipment transfer services to offshore wind turbines, sub stations and any inshore or offshore development sites requiring maritime logistics. OTS is a new company and its directors and staff have a broad mix of experience in both this market and business in general. The directors and staff are complemented by well-trained and highly-qualified skippers and crew who have experience in the industry.

Background
To enter and make their mark on an increasingly competitive offshore wind support market, OTS gave careful consideration to their choice of vessel. The team needed an innovative design that would keep the safety aspect of offshore wind turbine work at the forefront whilst also meeting the varied and often complex needs of the industry. Vessel cost was also important.

OTS Chairman Phil Collins explained, ‘As a new entrant to the market, we were very impressed with CTruk’s innovation record. We wanted a functional and fuel-efficient vessel solution and found that the CTruk 20T MPC ticked all the boxes for us, whilst also costing much less than similar aluminium work boats.’

Solution
Having taken OTS’ requirements into consideration, CTruk presented its repeatedly-proven 20T MPC (multi-purpose catamaran), which was specifically designed to fill a gap in the offshore wind support market for safer, better, faster and more cost-effective craft.

CTruk’s primary concern is to ensure that its product offering is safer than alternative solutions. A key example of this is the single person man-overboard remote operation system, a feature of CTruk workboats that enables the skipper to operate the vessel from outside the wheelhouse, overseeing the task at hand.

Using a cutting-edge vacuum resin infusion process, CTruk builds composite boats to the highest standards, saving up to 40% on weight. The hulls are therefore light and extremely hydrodynamic, meaning that these tough work boats burn less fuel than aluminium craft. CTruk has also developed a modular manufacturing process, increasing production efficiency and reducing build time.

Having satisfied OTS’ requirement for safety and cost-effectiveness, CTruk was also able to offer the unique ability of the CTruk 20T MPC to multi-task, adapting to perform various functions by virtue of its patent-applied flexible pod system. On the 20T MPC, as well as on other vessels in CTruk’s product range, the wheelhouse can be moved to accommodate a higher payload or put on different equipment pods, giving a flexibility that can negate the need for extra vessels to perform the various tasks required by offshore wind farm construction, operation and maintenance. This adaptable work boat also has a fuel bunkerage capacity of 16,000 litres.

Nick Bright, OTS Operations Director, has a commercial fishing background and was a firm advocate of aluminium catamarans. Convinced by colleagues to visit CTruk and evaluate the offering, Nick commented, ‘I was sceptical about composite vessels, having spent most of my working life on aluminium boats, but I returned to our base in Hereford a total convert to the numerous benefits of CTruk’s lightweight and robust composite construction, following our visit to the shipyard and meeting with the team down in Brightlingsea’.

By choosing CTruk composite 20T MPCs over aluminium catamarans, OTS gained a competitive advantage from the start. The dramatically lower fuel consumption became a key benefit for their clients. Days spend out of action due to issues with debris in the water were also minimised, as the vessels are built with Rolls-Royce water jets as standard, instead of propellers, making them significantly more effective in shallow water.

Offshore Turbine services is successfully operating two CTruk 20T MPCs, Cardinal P and Captain P, on major UK offshore wind farm projects. Admiral P is currently under construction at CTruk’s Brightlingsea shipyard and is due to start on contract in September 2012.

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