Nauti-Craft Pty Ltd, in partnership with the Carbon Trust, has recently successfully undergone a Design Approval Preview (DAP) with DNV GL.
The Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator has supported Nauti-Craft for four consecutive years to help deliver on the programme’s objective to reduce the cost of energy from offshore wind for sites located further offshore. With the help of the OWA Nauti-Craft vessel was demonstrated to industry at Seawork International in Southampton, UK last year. This final phase of support has enabled Nauti-Craft to identify and address remaining challenges to ensure the concept achieves classification approval from DNV GL, a key requirement for this concept to operate in the offshore wind market.
Nauti-Craft technology allows for a cheaper, safer and more efficient means of transportation and access to offshore wind farms in more onerous weather conditions. Increasing the turbine accessibility increases the availability of the turbines and hence reduces the cost of the energy produced.
DNV GL is the world’s largest classification society, an autonomous and independent foundation with the objectives of safeguarding life, property and the environment, at sea and onshore. DNV GL undertakes classification, certification, and other verification and consultancy services relating to quality of ships, offshore units and installations, and onshore industries worldwide, and carries out research in relation to these functions.
The Design Approval Preview involved a thorough review of the preliminary design, stability, systems engineering and safety for a 28m crew transfer vessel design, aimed at providing a general assessment and identify potential risks or issues that might prevent Classification being granted by DNV GL.
The summary report from DNV GL states:
“Based on supplied information, no significant issues have been identified that would prevent Classification being assigned to this vessel.”
Nauti-Craft’s Naval Architect Anthony Livanos managed the review and said the whole process with DNV GL was conducted proficiently and ran smoothly.
“The positive feedback and support from DNV GL is very encouraging. The fact that no significant issues were identified to prevent class being attained is a testament to our design team and the robustness of our windfarm vessel concept. The successful review accelerates our design program to be able to provide a unique solution to the rapidly expanding offshore windfarm industry.” Mr Livanos said.
The crew transfer vessel concept is progressing into the detailed design stages while Nauti-Craft has initiated a review with a European Flag administration and a Western Australian shipbuilder.
Ken Johnsen, Nauti-Craft’s Managing Director stated, “The DNV GL review is an important pre-cursor to the commercial availability of innovative new vessels incorporating the Company’s innovative technology that will enable safer and more comfortable transit to offshore windfarm installations and once at site safer technician and load transfer. The Company is appreciative of the Carbon Trust’s ongoing support in achieving this important milestone. ”
Dan Kyle Spearman, Project Lead, Access and Transfer Systems at the Carbon Trust commented: “We identified the potential for the Nauti-Craft concept to improve accessibility to offshore wind turbines four years ago when it was selected as one of the final concepts from over 450 international entrants in our global innovation competition.
This report from DNV GL is an important step in de-risking the concept and showing that this novel design can achieve marine regulatory approval. This is really positive news that a Carbon Trust and OWA supported concept has reached this stage and I am looking forward to seeing a Nauti-Craft vessel operational on a wind farm.”
