Christening of the first of two CSOVs for Bernhard Schulte Offshore

Bernhard Schulte Offshore announces the delivery of its latest Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) from Ulstein Verft in Norway. The newbuilding, which was christened ‘Windea Curie’ on 26 June, is now being deployed for the charterer TenneT, a leading offshore transmission system operator in the European Union, to support its offshore grid connection facilities in the North Sea.

“Our new ‘Windea Curie’ is an excellent addition to our offshore fleet of now four ultra-modern vessels”, says Matthias Müller, Managing Director at Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO). “The new ship and her subsequent sister vessel will not only add more capacity to our offshore fleet but also strengthen our competitiveness and reputation due to design features leading to improved fuel economy and flexible employment.”

“The christening of the ‘Windea Curie’ marks a significant step in our mission to operate a reliable and sustainable offshore grid infrastructure”, says Erik Hiensch, Head Offshore Operations Netherlands at TenneT. “This state-of-the-art CSOV will play an important role in supporting our operations in the North Sea, enabling safe and efficient access to our offshore platforms.”

“We are proud to deliver the ‘Windea Curie’ to Bernhard Schulte Offshore, marking another milestone in our long-standing and successful partnership. This vessel, along with her sister ship, showcases the innovative spirit and high standards that define our collaboration. Together, we are advancing maritime technology and sustainability, delivering exceptional performance and reliability for offshore operations”, says Lars Lühr Olsen, Managing Director at Ulstein Verft.

‘Windea Curie’, which utilises Ulstein’s TWIN X-STERN design, features two sterns and azimuth propellers located at both fore and aft, making her an ideal choice for Dynamic Positioning (DP) operations and reducing the fuel consumption. Regardless of whether the vessel is facing towards or away from the weather, it maintains excellent operability and flexibility. With the TWIN X-STERN solution, the ship can achieve improved fuel efficiency while also minimising motion, the latter a crucial element for gangway operations and for safety as the technicians need high-quality rest to perform their duties.

The new offshore vessel has a large, height-adjustable, centrally positioned walk-to-work motion compensated gangway and elevator tower for personnel and cargo transfers. Furthermore, a 3D compensated crane capable of 5-ton offshore cargo lifts is installed, enhancing operational efficiency and versatility. The optimised on-board logistics include large storage capacities and stepless approach to the offshore installations.

‘Windea Curie’ has a length of 89.6 m and a beam of 19.2 m. The vessel offers up to 90 cabins with windows for charterers’ offshore personnel. In total, there are 111 cabins providing comfortable living conditions for up to 132 individuals. The ship is equipped with hybrid battery propulsion and prepared for methanol fuel to enable low-carbon operations. It is flexible and attractive for employment within areas such as O&M (Operation and Maintenance) or construction support, especially in challenging weather and sea conditions.

The newbuilding is named after the famous physicist and chemist Marie Curie, who was honoured twice with the Nobel Prize for her achievements. This continues the tradition of naming BSO’s offshore vessels after outstanding personalities and scientists, as the ‘Windea La Cour’, ‘Windea Leibniz’ and ‘Windea Jules Verne’.

The sister ship of the ‘Windea Curie’ is currently under construction at Ulstein Verft in Norway with delivery planned in August 2025. It will expand the BSO fleet to five offshore service vessels, all highly flexible in operation to support the offshore wind energy market as well as the oil and gas segment.