Windea Clarke enters immediate UK North Sea charter as Bernhard Schulte Offshore completes its four-vessel CSOV newbuild programme
Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) has completed the latest expansion of its offshore fleet with the delivery of Windea Clarke, the fourth and final vessel in its new series of Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs).
The vessel was christened on 30 June at Ulstein Verft in Norway and will immediately commence its first seasonal charter supporting an offshore wind project in the UK North Sea.
With the addition of ‘Windea Clarke’, BSO completes a homogeneous series of four new state-of-the-art CSOVs, which have been integrated into the existing offshore fleet, now comprising seven units, since mid-2025.
Matthias Müller, Managing Director Bernhard Schulte Offshore, said: “With ‘Windea Clarke’, we are completing a strategically important series of vessels that strengthens our ability to support offshore projects with reliable tonnage while significantly reducing the environmental footprint. It enables us to deliver efficient and scalable services across construction, commissioning and maintenance phases to the global offshore energy industry.”
“The delivery of ‘Windea Clarke’ marks another milestone in our strong and valued partnership with Bernhard Schulte Offshore. Their continued trust in Ulstein reflects a shared ambition to challenge the oceans and push the boundaries of offshore vessel design,” says Gunvor Ulstein, CEO of Ulstein Group.
Like her sister vessels, ‘Windea Clarke’ has been purpose-built to meet the evolving demands of the offshore energy industry. Based on Ulstein’s advanced vessel design, the ship combines high operational performance, energy efficiency and excellent seakeeping characteristics. The vessel features Ulstein’s TWIN X-STERN solution, which provides exceptional manoeuvrability, reduced motion and improved fuel efficiency, all key qualities for safe and sustainable offshore operations. Combined with hybrid battery propulsion and a design prepared for future methanol use, the series of vessels is optimised for low-emission operations.
A distinctive feature of ‘Windea Clarke’ is its DNV SILENT-E class notation, confirming that the vessel meets defined limits for underwater radiated noise emissions to protect the marine life. By incorporating noise-reducing measures such as optimised propeller design, vibration control and a holistic noise-aware vessel layout, ‘Windea Clarke’ is designed to minimise its acoustic footprint.
The ‘Windea Clarke’ offers comfortable accommodation in single cabins for offshore personnel and is fitted with a centrally positioned, height-adjustable walk-to-work gangway and elevator tower to enable safe personnel and cargo transfers. A 3D motion-compensated crane supports offshore handling operations, while extensive storage areas and stepless workflows enhance operational efficiency. ‘Windea Clarke’ features a height-adjustable boat-landing system which enables easy transfer between the CSOV and smaller crew transfer vessels – a key safety feature when operating in offshore wind farms. It is also equipped with a helideck, enabling flexible dispatch of technicians and crew change.
The new vessel continues the naming tradition of the newbuilding series, which honours pioneering scientists. ‘Windea Clarke’ is named after Edith Clarke, a trailblazing electrical engineer whose work made a lasting contribution to modern power systems engineering.
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