NYK and Northern Offshore Group AB (NOG), a Swedish holding entity that　owns Northern Offshore Service AB (NOS), have agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a crew transfer vessel (CTV)* business related to offshore wind power generation. The two companies will start a joint study of a new CTV service to contribute to the success of offshore wind projects in Japan.

On April 1, 2019, a new law intended to facilitate the development of offshore wind projects off Japan became effective, and demand within the offshore wind power generation market is expected to expand. A CTV would fulfill the important role of transporting construction and maintenance crews to the offshore wind power plants.

Utilizing the technical information and expertise of NOS, which operates over 35 CTVs in the offshore wind power market in Europe, along with the NYK Group’s knowledge of operating vessels in Japan, NOS and NYK will discuss the optimized design, ownership, and operation of a CTV that so that crews can have safe access to wind power generation facilities off Japan even when sea conditions are harsh. In the future, the two companies will also discuss the possibility of collaborating in overseas businesses.

In accordance with the NYK Group’s medium-term management plan “Staying Ahead 2022 with Digitalization and Green,” the company has indicated its goal to integrate ESG principles into management strategies to implement green business initiatives. In fact, NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd., an NYK Group company, has previously transported offshore wind power facilities on heavy-lift vessels. The Group will continue to be involved in a wide range of the supply chain and contribute to the development of offshore wind power projects.

The NYK Group is dedicated to achieving the SDGs through the group’s business activities and will continue its efforts to contribute to promoting the renewable energy business in Japan and overseas.

* Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV)
Transporting technicians safely and comfortably to and from sites during offshore wind power construction and maintenance. The vessel is built for highspeed operation and comes equipped with stability equipment that allows crews to safely transfer to and from the offshore wind farms.

- About Northern Offshore Services
Northern Offshore Services is today a leading provider of CTV’s in the European market. Northern Offshore Group operates about 60 vessels in which most are CTV’s and has a complete set of onshore technical and commercial management services inhouse. The group is located in Gothenburg, Sweden and has offices in Hamburg, Copenhagen, Lowestoft and Conwy.