WTIV design tailored for offshore windpark installations
Latest addition to WTIV Atlas series: Atlas A class (Source: Knud E. Hansen)
Danish marine architect Knud E. Hansen has developed a new design for a wind turbine installation vessel of 155.4m length.
The new Atlas A class vessel will be able to carry four new-generation 14-MW wind turbines and aims to achieve cost-effective installation of large-scale wind farms. The vessel is specifically dimensioned for transporting and assembling wind turbines on top of pre-installed foundations.
The powering of the vessel is provided by eight generators connected to a direct current grid and a battery pack, allowing the engines to run at variable speed for fuel efficiency while also utilising load levelling and peak shaving. The batteries not only provide quickly available power, avoiding unnecessary spinning reserve power from the generators, but also make it possible to recover approximately 60% of the energy used for jacking.
The main deck of the accommodation block includes an operations centre consisting of offices and meeting rooms as well as a hospital, day room, TV room and workshop. The three decks above include a total of 114 cabins for contractors, crew and officers. The top deck consists of a bridge with centre and wing consoles and a large helicopter landing area.
