The latest addition to Tidal Transit’s fleet of purpose-built crew transfer vessels (CTVs), Imogen Rose, was officially christened on Friday (18 July) at Equinor’s pontoon in Great Yarmouth. The ceremony formed part of a wider event, hosted by multinational energy company Equinor, to celebrate completion of an ongoing modification project at Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind farm.
Imogen Rose is an Incat Crowther UK-designed WindFlex 27 crew transfer vessels, outfitted with Volvo Penta Quad-IPS, and built by Singapore-based Penguin International. Her first charter was to energy services supplier Stowen Group, supporting the firm’s contract with Equinor delivering essential offshore modification and maintenance at Sheringham Shoal.
Designed for high levels of fuel efficiency, manoeuvrability and durability in all-weather operating conditions, Imogen Rose was chosen to support timely completion of an ongoing modification project. This marks the latest milestone in a long-term collaboration between the two companies, Tidal Transit having supplied Equinor with tailored crew transfer solutions for over a decade.
A frontrunner for next-generation electric builds, Imogen Rose features future-proofed hull design and onboard systems, allowing her to be retrofitted in with zero-emissions power supply and propulsion. Electric-ready designs are increasingly sought-after by the offshore industry as wind farm developers and operators ramp up efforts to decarbonise.
Leo Hambro, commercial director of Tidal Transit, commented: “Imogen Rose has been constantly busy since delivery earlier in the year, so we’re delighted to have been finally able give her the belated christening she deserves. Thank you to Equinor and Stowen Group for hosting such a fantastic event, and we’re looking forward to collaborating further as we continue to support current and future offshore developments in the UK and beyond.”
Colin Galer, plant manager of the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm, added: “We are delighted to host the Christening of Imogen Rose. Stowen recently chartered the vessel to serve an important role at Sheringham Shoal. Sheringham Shoal was our first commercial wind farm and delivery of our operations programme is an important part of maintaining this asset.
Kieron Ford, COO of Stowen Group, also added, “Utilising Imogen Rose from Tidal Transit was a seamless operation from start to finish. The professionalism, reliability, and quality of the team were outstanding throughout. Their impeccable service played a key role in keeping our project ahead of schedule, and we’ll certainly look to use Tidal Transit vessels in future offshore wind projects.”
Sheringham Shoal is an Equinor-operated, 317-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm located off the coast of North Norfolk. Beginning operations in 2012, the site comprises of 88 wind turbines and generates around 1.1 terawatt hours (TWh) of green energy per year.
