New assignments:
Normand Jarl is among the vessels
in SolstadFarstad being equipped
for the new assignments
in the offshore wind industry.
SERVICE IN THE WIND
As the investments in renewable energy sources are increasing, so are the investments
in turbines from renewable energy from wind. A lot of this energy will be harvested
in offshore wind farms at sea.
The wind turbines are getting bigger and
more advanced, but they still need super-
vision and maintenance. This provide new
market opportunities for SolstadFarstad’s
advanced construction vessels.
More and more of the contracts of the
company, are currently achieved in so-
called renewable segments, and the first
major contract was for Normand Jarl.
SolstadFarstad won a contract with the
Danish energy company Ørsted (former
DONG Energy) at Christmas times last
year, and immediately started working on
24
SOLSHIPS – DECEMBER 2017
the necessary preparations of equipment
and technical solutions.
Vessel manager Lars Ove Hole, at Solstad-
Forstad’s headquarters in Skudeneshavn,
explains the details of how Normand Jarl
had to undergo a relatively large mobi-
lisation before being ready for its new
assignments. The ship will serve as a hub
and base for the technicians who super-
vise, maintain and repair offshore wind
turbines outside northern Germany.
The dimensions of the constructions are
impressive. One of the practical challen-
ges that must be solved in the daily ope-
rations, is the access to the wind tur-
bines, which are arranged through an
heave-compensated walkway (AHC) bet-
ween the ship and the installations. Thus,
Normand Jarl was sent to the shipyard of
Westcon in Husøy, Karmøy, for necessary
modifications. The ship was equipped
with a gangway of the type “Uptime”,
from Marine Aluminum, an assembly
work taking place for about a month. The
ship could start work for its new client on
the 25th of February.