Damen and BWB forge alliance to serve the growing Offshore Wind industry
Over the next five years, more than ten Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2710s will be built using serial production techniques adopted from the automotive sector and adapted for the shipbuilding sector.
Baltic Workboats (BWB) and Damen Shipyards have signed a partnership agreement for a program of building Damen’s popular crew transfer vessel, the Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2710, at BWB’s facility on Saaremaa Island in Estonia.
With the Baltic Sea joining the North Sea as an area of rapid expansion for the offshore wind industry, building these highly rated CTVs in the region increases availability to both the Baltic region and other European markets.
The FCS 2710 is a versatile vessel and those built by BWB will undertake a range of duties in the North and Baltic seas. These will include deploying and retrieving technicians and their equipment during the construction and commissioning phases of the wind turbine installations, and then transporting the maintenance crews that keep them operational throughout their lifetimes.
Damen’s Twin-Axe hull form ensures excellent seakeeping capabilities and fuel economy as well as providing extensive deck space and accommodation. Damen’s policy of continuous design improvement means that they will feature the latest design adjustments such as an improved wheelhouse window arrangement and an upgraded bridge console layout.
The production of the first batch of vessels is already underway. The aluminum for the first hulls was cut on the 9th of May and the first vessel is expected to be ready for delivery in the summer of 2024. Over the next five years, more than ten FCS 2710s will be built using serial production techniques adopted from the automotive sector and adapted for the shipbuilding sector.
