Prior to the sea trial various tests will be carried out, including start-up of the propulsion system, testing of the tower and crane.The X-BOW® and X-STERN® offshore wind vessel will be working as a Service Operation Vessel for GE Renewable Energy on the Merkur Offshore Wind Farm off the coast of Germany.
Follow the progress of this hybrid vessel from design to delivery.
On Tuesday, 24 March, a large-scale rescue exercise was carried out off the coast of Lofoten, Norway, testing a new emergency towing system for ships. The cruise vessel MS Spitsbergen, with 150 passengers on board, the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel KV Barentshav, and the 330 Squadron’s SAR Queen rescue helicopter took part.
How can you be confident that a new vessel design will actually perform in rough seas and demanding operations? The answer lies in thorough verification, independent testing and documented performance. Recently, a new Ulstein design for a cable-laying vessel was tested in a large-scale ocean basin at SINTEF Ocean. The results delivered exactly what Ulstein seeks: confidence that the design performs as intended.
On 11 March 2026, Ulstein Verft, Norway, delivered the Windea Carnot, a Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV). The vessel was built on behalf of an institutional investor and has now been handed over to its new owner, Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO).