European marine contractors Ulstein and SeaOwls have launched a next-generation heavy-lift jack-up concept to handle installation of the coming 10-12MW class of offshore wind turbine.
The wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) design, dubbed 'Soul' (SeaOwls ULstein), is based on a "simple twist" to conventional offshore oil construction jack-up designs, which are based around an open, square deck with widely spaced legs.
By rotating the platform by 45˚, the new jack-up unit is given a "natural bow shape" with two legs and the crane on vessel centre line, making it more than 10% lighter than previous models without losing stability or deck load capacity.
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