Tuco Debuts New Wind Farm Service Boat
Less than a week before the Offshore Energy 2014 Exhibition and Conference in Amsterdam the coming week, Tuco Marine disclosed the newest vessel in the ProZero series of Fast Rescue Boats, Daughter Crafts and Workboats; The New ProZero 11m Wind Farm Service Boat.
The new design, a dedicated service boat and crew transfer vessel for offshore wind farms, has been developed as a little sister to the ProZero 13m Wind Farm Service Boat presented earlier this autumn.
The 11m meter vessel is constructed to be lifted on and off larger mother vessels featuring a davit system and the ProZero 11m Wind Farm Service Boat can be outfitted with hook systems of the owner’s choice.
Besides single point hoisting the ProZero 11m Wind Farm Service Boat can be launched and recovered by a built-in slipway system in the transoms of the mother ships offshore.
Tuco Marine directly targets the third round offshore service an accommodation vessels, serving the far offshore farms on deep waters. These farms are situated so far offshore that daily travel to and off shore is not possible and technicians are therefore accommodated on larger mother vessels or on accommodation platforms. This requires stabile daughter crafts that are capable of transporting personal from the accommodation units to and of the installations.
The ProZero 11m Wind Farm Service Boat is built on the ProZero hull lines that have been through comprehensive testing and CFD runs to ensure best possible handling and comfort in service in the wind farms, Tuco Marine said.
The boat is constructed from carbon fiber composites due to the industry’s increased focus on fuel efficiency obtained by less operational power needed. Further the low weight achieved by this construction, also makes it possible to fit the fairly large daughter craft to vessels not capable of handling heavier daughter crafts.
The ProZero11m Wind Farm Service Boat offers a spacious foredeck and a purpose-build docking and fender system for easy access to the offshore windmills.
The vessels features twin waterjet installation fitted to inboard diesel engines, and operates at a service speed above 30kts transporting 8 passengers and cargo.
The ProZero series has been awarded funding under the topic Small Business Innovation Research for Transport under the EU Horizon 2020 program. The funded project has its focus on creating innovation and minimizing the weight of workboats and Daughter crafts.
"The ProZero series low weight results in a significant reduction in fuel consumption and thus much lower CO2-emission and NoX-outlet. The vessels will simultaneously be able to go faster or achieve greater operating range," said Managing Director of Tuco Marine Jonas Pedersen.