Fred Olsen Windcarrier (FOWIC) is redeploying one of its installation vessels to Asia, following explosive demand for wind power in the region.
The Bold Tern installation vessel has predominantly been stationed in Europe, helping with the construction of the Moray East project in the UK. When complete this wind farm is poised to fulfil approximately 40% of Scotland’s electricity demand. But, despite the wind farm still being under construction, FOWIC has been forced to move the ship to the APAC region to deal with demand.
Thankfully, work will continue on the Moray East project, although this will now be overseen by the company’s third vessel, the Blue Tern.
The reason for the swap is because work on the Yunlin offshore wind farm in Taiwanese waters continues apace, with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy requiring Fred Olsen’s Brave Tern vessel for longer than initially planned. So, to facilitate that ship being tied up on the construction of the Yunlin offshore wind farm, the Bold Tern will undergo a planned crane upgrade and then redeploy to APAC to fulfill the installation of other projects from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
Henning Lang, commercial head of project execution at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Offshore, commented: “We appreciate FOWIC’s effort to work closely with us to support our Taiwan pipeline. We have a long history with FOWIC and this is one of many examples where they have proven to be a trusted service provider.”