On 23rd July, Experience Exchange Conference about Offshore Wind Farm Service Boats was celebrated in Afai Southern Shipyard, where a presentation of first-class service boats was made by the English shipowner. The Conference and Presentation was held by AFAI and the famous English ship owner MAINPRIZE OFFSHORE LTD, who has operated in European offshore wind farms for 35 years. Many experts of Chinese offshore wind farms industry participated in the conference, including but not limited to State Power Investment Corporation Guangdong Electricity Ltd, Chongqing Sea Wind Power Engineering & Technology Ltd, Guangdong Electricity Yangjiang Offshore Wind Farm Co., Ltd, Mingyang Smart Energy, Golden Wind Technology Co., Ltd, Nantong Feng Dian Yun Wei Offshore Service Co., Ltd, Zhuhai Jingyin Marine Engineering Service Co., Ltd, China Oilfield Services Limited, Guangzhou CCS, Bureau Veritas, etc.

The Managing Director of MAINPRIZE OFFSHORE LTD, Mr. Robert Mainprize shared the successful operation experience of offshore wind farm service boats in North Sea in Europe, combining with the presentation of development history of wind farm service boats in the UK and Europe. Relying on the high quality high standard service boat – MO5 – built by Afai Southern Shipyard, Mr. Robert Mainprize also introduced the details of characteristics and functions of high standard type of wind farm service boats. At the end, he also recommended some typical boat types to the guests according to the characteristics of domestic wind farms in China.

After the conference, accompanied by the General Manager of Afai Southern Shipyard, Mr. Chen Xiaoliang, the guests embarked on MO5 and visited the real wind farm service boat. The guests expressed their keen interest in the multi-purpose and high construction quality of MO5, shared their experience in the operation of wind farm service boats and stated their operation difficulties and building requests.

Afai Southern Shipyard successfully held this Experience Exchange Conference with Chinese and foreign wind farm operators and class societies, with the MO5 vessel as the medium. AFAI will also do its utmost to promote the research and development of technology, equipment innovation and industry development in the field of Chinese offshore wind farm service boats. Relying on its rich and mature design and construction experience, Afai Southern Shipyard will customize different kinds of site specific wind farm service boats that meet customer’s needs to a great extent and are high quality and reliable for the owners and operators of domestic and foreign wind farms, with full analysis of following points of the wind farms, including but not limited to climate condition, tide condition, water depth, transfer height requirement, distance from port, layout of the site, quantity and size of turbines, function requirement and crew needs, etc.

MO5 vessel, BV classified, LOA 26m, beam 11m, max. draft 3m, transfer height 4.5m, deck cargo load 70 tons, designed speed 24 knots, sea trial speed 25 knots, propelled by double engines and double propellers, equipped with many specific equipment, such as bow thruster and interceptor, etc. Her boat type, navigation state, performance and construction quality all reach the first class standard. After many design optimizing by the operator, ship owner, design company and AFAI shipyard on MO5, with full analysis of maintained transit speed of the vessel, fuel burn with a number of points, sea sick levels and frequency, failures and breakdowns frequency of turbines, etc, she was specially designed for a specific site with her customized bow fender, power plant and propellers, which can save the operator’s cost by reduction of fuel consumption and improvement of turbine access. MO5 has available deck spec up to 170m2 and deck cargo load to 70 tons, can supply up to 65 tons fuel and 55 tons fresh water. MO5 concentrates the purpose of cargo transportation, fuel transportation and fresh water transportation. She’s a rare multi-purpose service boat with supply of fresh water in the European wind farm service boat market. After delivery, MO5 will operate in the high sea conditions wind farms in North Sea.