Seajacks has finalised a deal with shipping design group GustoMSC to provide basic design packages for two or possibly more jack-up wind farm installations vessels which will double its existing fleet which comprises the Leviathan and Kraken lift-boats.

Based in Great Yarmouth in the UK, Seajacks was bought out by a US equity investment group Riverstone Holdings in January this year, and today signalled that the new vessels will be based on an MSC NG5000 design, providing accommodation for 90 personnel and an 800 tonnes crane.

“The jack-ups are being designed specifically to service the wind farm installation market in the harsh operating environment of the North Sea, as well as to provide services to the oil and gas sectors,” Seajacks declared.

Delivery of the first unit is due in the first quarter 2012 and the second unit is due shortly after.

Seajacks· decision comes hard on the heels of the issue licences for nine new offshore wind farm sites around the UK by the Crown Estate which delegates at a conference in Norwich organised by the East of England Energy Group yesterday heard will post severe challenges to existing installation vessel capacity.

“We are very excited about the additions to Seajacks· fleet and look forward to offering this new generation of purpose built vessels to our clients,” said Seajacks managing director Blair Ainslie. He added: “ The new vessels will facilitate faster and more efficient installation of turbines and foundations offshore, and provide us with an excellent platform for expansion into other aspects of this growth industry.”

At Offshore Europe in September last year Ainslie signalled then that his company was considering additions to its offshore construction fleet.

Source: www.offshore247.com