Austal to design catamaran vessels for Turbine Transfers

The Austal-built OSV catamarans will be used to transport service crews and equipment to offshore wind farms located off the coastlines of several European countries.

Turbine Transfers currently owns and operates a fleet of 18 vessels. The Austal-built OSVs will be the first that Turbine Transfers has commissioned outside the UK.

‘Supporting the currently installed offshore generating capacity is, today, an attractive market opportunity, but the projected growth in new wind farms and wave generator capacity over the coming years makes this market sector a strategic component of the Austal Group’s commercial vessel business,’ said Andrew Bellamy, the company’s chief executive officer.

Austal said in a statement that it has adopted an advanced fine-entry chine hull form that, in association with a high tunnel height, will enable the vessels to operate at speeds of up to 30 knots with targeted sea-keeping ability in up to 2m significant wave height.

Due for delivery in May 2012, the vessels will be built at Austal’s Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.