On July 5 at Ishikari Bay New Port, NYK delivered Rera As, an NYK-owned crew transport vessel (CTV) to Siemens Gamesa, a global wind turbine manufacturer that constructs, operates, and maintains offshore wind power generation facilities at Ishikari Bay New Port. In accordance with a time-charter contract with Siemens Gamesa, the NYK Group's Hokuyo Kaiun Co. Ltd. will manage and operate the vessel. In July, the CTV will begin transporting workers involved in maintenance for offshore wind power generation facilities. This vessel is the first CTV owned and operated by the NYK Group and is the largest gross tonnage CTV currently in operation in Japan (according to NYK research).

The vessel has been certified by ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai) to comply with the ISM Code,* which confirms that the vessel has established a ship safety management system meeting international standards. The CTV also received a "Wind Farm Support Vessel (WFV)" notation,** which recognizes that the vessel is fully equipped with facilities and manuals necessary for the safe transportation of workers. This ship is the first domestic CTV to be recognized as a WFV.

The vessel was completed in Singapore in April, and its flag was changed to Japan after equipment modifications, such as fenders*** and radio equipment, and other inspections at the Oppama factory of Keihin Dock Co. Ltd.

The CTV is receiving technical and commercial support from Northern Offshore Service (NOS, Sweden), a subsidiary of Northern Offshore Group AB (NOG), one of the largest CTV operators in Europe and with which NYK has partnered. The ship arrived at Ishikari Bay New Port on June 27 after a series of training sessions in Hokkaido, including ship operation and classroom lectures, under the guidance of a captain dispatched by NOS. On June 28, a commemoration ceremony for the vessel's arrival at Ishikari Bay New Port was attended by about 40 guests, including Ishikari City Mayor Tatsuyuki Kato.

NYK named the vessel Rera As (meaning "wind blows"), derived from the Ainu language and registered in Ishikari, based on the belief that the Ainu culture, which values nature, is highly compatible with the philosophy of promoting renewable energy. The NYK Group will use this project as a foothold for further development in Japan's offshore wind power generation business, which is expected to expand in the future.

Length overall: 27.10 m
Breadth: 9.00 m
Passenger capacity: 12 persons
Shipyard: PT Kim Seah Shipyard Indonesia, a subsidiary of Penguin Shipyard International

The NYK Group has launched its new "NYK GREEN EARTH" brand to emphasize the Group’s ESG efforts to create new value initiatives for low carbon and decarbonization through green businesses, such as those related to offshore wind power generation. The Group will encourage new value creation as a sustainable solution provider to strongly promote ESG management.

On March 10, 2023, the NYK Group released its medium-term management plan “Sail Green, Drive Transformations 2026 — A Passion for Planetary Wellbeing. ” The NYK Group is promoting growth strategies with ESG at the core, based on the Group’s mission statement of “Bringing value to life” and a new corporate vision for 2030, which reads, “we go beyond the scope of a comprehensive global logistics enterprise to co-create value required for the future by advancing our core business and growing new ones.”

* The ISM Code stands for the International Safety Management Code, a set of rules and regulations established by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to prevent maritime accidents caused by human error. The code is mandatory for all oceangoing vessels of 500 gross tons or more and oceangoing passenger vessels of less than 500 gross tons. Domestic vessels can voluntarily obtain an audit and certification based on the code from ClassNK.

**A notation is verification given by each classification society to ships and systems that meet requirements.

*** BareFLEET is widely adopted in the European CTV market as the industry standard tool for remote monitoring of CTV’s.

**** A fender is cushioning material to prevent damage caused by contact between the hull and a quay wall or structure.

Siemens Gamesa
Headquarters: Zamudio, Spain
CEO: Jochen Eickholt
Website: https://www.siemensgamesa.com/

Hokuyo Kaiun Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: Tomakomai, Hokkaido
President: Katsuya Nakano
Website: https://hokuyo-kaiun.co.jp/

Northern Offshore Group AB
Headquarters: Gothenburg, Sweden
Group Chief Executive Officer: David Kristensson
Website: https://n-o-g.eu/