Schulte Marine Concept gains Foothold in Chinese Offshore Wind Market
Schulte Group’s newbuilding arm, Schulte Marine Concept (S.M.C.), wins new contract to conduct plan approval and construction supervision for first service operation vessels (SOVs) designed for the Chinese market.
S.M.C. is a well-established newbuilding and conversion technical consultant and project manager that has extensive experience working in the Chinese shipbuilding sector. Having supervised a diverse portfolio of vessels from container ships and tankers to gas carriers, DF vessels and passenger ships, the company has now expanded its services to offshore wind projects in China.
Vessels with ”greener” Footprint to support Offshore Wind Activity in China
At the start of 2022, Shanghai Electric Wind Power (Group) Corporation awarded S.M.C. with a plan approval and site supervision contract for two SOVs that will be purpose designed and built for the Chinese offshore wind industry. The vessels are scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024.
S.M.C. will be working closely with Shanghai Electric – a leading provider of offshore wind turbines in China, Ulstein – a leading designer of SOV units and ZPMC – the builder awarded construction contract. Equipped with hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system that comes with a Battery Energy Storage System installed in addition to very high safety and comfort features, the vessels will improve the efficiency of service operations at Chinese offshore wind farms while reducing their carbon footprint.
In addition to the SOV project, S.M.C. was appointed to carry out plan approval and supervise the construction of a 1,600 tons crane wind turbine installation vessel in China in the beginning of 2022. Set to be jointly classed by the China Classification Society and Bureau Veritas, the self-elevating wind power installation platform is equipped with diesel-electric propulsion system with six diesel generators feeding three azimuth thrusters and two tunnel type bow thrusters. This is in line with efforts by the renewable energy industry to manage its environmental impact. Scheduled for completion by mid 2023, the vessel is capable of installing 20 MW wind turbines at up to 70 m maximum depth of water. The platform, which is independently developed, designed and built in China, is also capable of assembling wind hubs and blades on the main deck.
Global Newbuilding Expertise – deep local Knowledge
Krzysztof Kozdron, Managing Director of S.M.C. says: “These new projects will help us deepen our understanding of the operational and geographical requirements of the Chinese offshore wind market. While this is not our first foray into the market, we look forward to the close technical cooperation with our local and international design and shipyard partners to ensure smooth and successful completion of the projects. We want to use our global experience to support our Chinese clients in meeting the growing demand for renewable energy and a more sustainable future.”
As part of China’s national strategy to develop non-fossil-fuel energy sources, various provincial governments have identified large-scale wind and solar projects as key engines for the development of renewable energy. In 2021, China overtook the UK to become the world’s largest operator of installed offshore wind capacity.