Offshore wind giant Ørsted has welcomed the arrival of it's latest service operations vessel to Grimsby.
Wind of Hope joins the fleet, and will soon be accommodating technicians who will maintain the emerging Hornsea Two offshore wind farm.
The 84-metre vessel has cabins for 30 crew and 60 technicians, and is fitted with the latest motion-compensate technology. It enables technicians to "walk to work" along an electronically-controlled gangway that forms a bridge between vessel and turbine - like those employed on Race Bank and Hornsea One.
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Grimsby is leading the way in offshore wind operations and maintenance, serving a concentrated cluster of arrays, and Ørsted bosses say the next 10 years will provide further huge growth in jobs and investment for the town.
The arrival of the new Turkish-built vessel, which cost "tens of millions of pounds" builds on a new era in wind turbine maintenance, with workers staying out in the field for a fortnight at a time.
Darren Ramshaw, head of Ørsted’s East Coast operations in the 海角视频, said: “It’s a very exciting time to be part of the offshore wind industry in the 海角视频. By the end of this year, we will have invested over £13 billion building 海角视频 offshore wind farms.
“The new state of the art vessel, the Wind of Hope, is a great addition to the East Coast where it joins the fleet with the Passat and Mistral.”
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Built by French company Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, Wind of Hope had its naming ceremony last month ahead of its voyage to the 海角视频.
Morten Holm, head of site for Hornsea Two, said: “The SOVs are integral in keeping our colleagues safe and healthy whilst at work. Onboard the Wind of Hope is a modern gym, cinema room, hospital and accommodation for 90 people. We have onboard chefs who keep our wind turbine technicians energised and healthy, including pancakes on a Saturday!”
Programme director for Hornsea Two, Patrick Harnett, said there will be "exponential" growth in the industry in the coming years.
He told how construction is nearing completion and will include 165 8MW turbines, capable of producing enough power for 1.4 million homes.
When fully commissioned in 2022, the Hornsea Two farm will be the biggest in the world, outstripping Hornsea One. Plans are also underway for Hornsea Three and Hornsea Four.
Lianne Margriet Klaver, graduate at Ørsted, who has been a big part of the project team, told how the new vessel is a "boat-tel" with first class accommodation, a helipad and hospital.
Staff work on rotas of two weeks on and two weeks off and enjoy plush en-suite facilities. She said every effort had been made to make sure staff do not feel "boxed in."
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Operations manager, Paul Hazell, said: "The Wind of Hope is a real step forward. Contact with the turbine is controlled from the bridge and we are more energy efficient."
He said how Ørsted advertised for 23 new roles last year and were overwhelmed with 1,262 applicants.
He said more than 80 per cent live within an hour's drive of Grimsby, underlining the economic boost brought by the long-term element of the industry.
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He said: "We have a massive future in Grimsby. We will be taking on more technicians and our aspiration is for a Hornsea Three and Four."
He looks after Nick Aram, an experienced technician and new recruit Graeme Duffy, 24, who is excited about his upcoming first visit to a turbine farm.
"I am excited to get my teeth into the job," he said.
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