Windcat orders from Damen the first unit of a low-emission multipurpose series, with options for five additional vessels
Antwerp – Cmb.Tech, led by Alexander Saverys, has signed a major agreement for a new class of offshore support vessels. Windcat, a company within the Antwerp-based group, concluded an agreement during the Offshore Energy conference in Amsterdam with Damen Shipyards Group for the construction of a new multi-purpose accommodation support vessel (Mp-Asv), with options for five additional units.
The series, named the “Innovation Series”, will combine a large free deck with a subsea crane and accommodation designed for personnel engaged in long-term offshore activities. Construction of the first vessel will begin in February 2026 at the Ha Long shipyard in Vietnam, with delivery expected in 2028. The order is part of the existing collaboration between Windcat and Damen in the development of commissioning service operations vessels (Csovs).
The new Mp-Asvs will take the proven design of the Csov, but in larger dimensions — 102 x 20 meters — offering 750 m² of deck space, a 150-tonne subsea crane, and the ability to launch and recover ROVs. The units can accommodate up to 190 people with a minimum autonomy of 28 days.
The vessels will be equipped with a low-emission system with 3,981 kWh batteries on a Dd grid and will integrate a dual-fuel hydrogen engine, which will allow the auxiliary generator set to also run on this fuel. Windcat’s Managing Director, Willem van derWel, explained that the new type of unit is born from the combination of the load and lifting capabilities typical of Mpsvs and the comfort of offshore accommodation vessels.
