SHANGHAI, Aug. 21, 2024 -- Shanghai Electric (SEHK:2727, SSE:601727) subsidiary, Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group, took delivery of Asia's first offshore wind power service and operation vessels (SOVs), Zhizhen 100 and Zhicheng 60, recently in Qidong, Jiangsu province. Built by Zhenhua Heavy Industries, the motherships can carry out continuous operation and maintenance operations in deep water and deep-sea wind farms, which largely alleviates pain points in China's current mainstream marine transportation ships, including short window periods, the inability to hold continuous operations, frequent round trips, low efficiency, and poor functioning in severe sea conditions.

The active wave compensation trestle equipped on the two wind power operation and maintenance motherships, Asia’s first wind power SOVs delivered, jointly developed by Shanghai Electric and Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries has broken through a technical bottleneck.

Liu Xiangnan, Vice President of Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group, commented, "These two offshore wind power service and operation vessels integrate efficient operation and maintenance, green and smart operations and maintenance, and are important carriers for the forward-looking structure of electric wind power in deep seas that will drive the high-quality development of China's offshore wind power operation and maintenance capabilities."

Specifications are varied for Zhizhen 100 and Zhicheng 60:

  • The Zhizhen 100 has a total length of 93.4 meters, a beam of 18 meters, a depth of 7.6 meters, and a designed service speed of 12.3 knots;
  • The Zhicheng 60 has a total length of 72.76 meters, a beam of 17.5 meters, a depth of 7 meters, and a designed service speed of 12 knots.

The two delivered SOVs are designed to offer efficient, sustainable, intelligent, and safe maintenance. They are both equipped with DP2 dynamic positioning system, have a large cargo space with the capacity to store heavy-duty wind turbine spare parts and have a self-sustaining capacity of over 30 days.

  • The Zhizhen 100 and the Zhicheng 60 are equipped with an active wave compensation pier that mitigates hull displacement due to waves, enabling efficient personnel and spare parts transfer and wind farm maintenance even in harsh sea conditions.
  • They feature a folding arm offshore crane, a workboat, a boarding frame, and an aluminum alloy helicopter platform.
  • Powered by a diesel-electric and lithium battery hybrid system with full electric propulsion and a DC busbar distribution, they hold hybrid power and green ship classifications certificated by the China Classification Society (CCS).
  • An advanced smart operation system enhances maintenance efficiency and reduces work intensity, extending the operational window.

"As a pioneer, leader and builder of China's offshore wind power, Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group has been deeply involved in the development and growth of China's offshore wind power, and has actively responded to the needs of China's offshore wind power to develop in deep seas," said Liu. 

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