UK owner Bibby Marine has signed a deal to build what it says is the first truly zero-emission offshore wind farm vessel.
The electric commissioning service operation vessel (eCSOV) will be delivered from Turkish shipyard group Gondan Shipbuilders’ Asturias plant in Spain in 2026.
No price has been given for the ship.
Bibby said Gondan won the business after a thorough tendering process involving a variety of yards in the UK and overseas.
The owner added the Turkish group’s bid “stood out in terms of timeline, budget and quality”.
“Their proven track record in building bespoke, specialist vessels was also a strong factor in selecting Gondan to build this innovative vessel,” Bibby explained.
The eCSOV has been designed in collaboration with UK-based Longitude.
It will feature a powerful battery system, complemented by dual-fuel methanol engines for emissions-free operations.
The vessel will have high-voltage offshore charging facilities for rapid recharging.
The ship will be able to operate solely on battery power for more than 16 hours.
UK-designed and flagged ship
Bibby Marine chief executive Nigel Quinn called the yard selection an exciting next step.
He said: “As a UK-owned company, we are pleased this vessel will be the first UK-designed SOV and a UK-flagged vessel.”
“The delivery of this vessel has the potential to be a game changer for our industry by accelerating our path to net zero, as well as showcasing marine innovation at its finest,” Quinn added.
He said the project will demonstrate that clean ships can be built at the same total cost of ownership as a conventional fossil-burning vessel, coupled with significantly reduced operating costs.
In September, Bibby said it had clinched an unspecified amount of funding from the UK government’s Zero Emission Vessel Infrastructure competition for the new ship.
The company has also been working with energy major Shell and Norwegian technology company Kongsberg on the project.
