Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has contracted Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) to build a series of service operation vessels (SOVs) for deployment in the German North Sea’s offshore wind farms.
This follows LDA’s earlier win of a $575 million tender from Swedish utility Vattenfall to provide SOVs for the DanTysk, Sandbank, and Nordlicht wind farm zone, with an option for a third vessel.
Under the Vattenfall contract, LDA will build, own, and operate two firm SOVs, slated to begin service in mid-2027 and late 2027, respectively. The optional third vessel is intended for future North Sea projects.
The newbuilds, designed by Norway’s Salt Ship Design, will fly the French flag and utilize high-quality European components, including the gangway system, dynamic positioning system, and key propulsion systems, according to LDA.