The Polish shipyard CRIST has started cutting steel for the hull of Olympic's first construction service operation vessel (CSOV) of the SX222 design ordered at Ulstein Verft.

The 89.6 by 19.2 m hybrid (methanol) zero-emission ship was designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions. Together with her sister ship, both to be delivered in 2024, she will be among the first to implement the TWIN X-STERN concept: two sterns and main propeller units in each end to increase flexibility and operability.

The vessel will offer room for 126 people across 91 cabins.

The Olympic-Ulstein Verft contract includes an option for two more newbuilds.

"Renewable energy is the future as we are transitioning away from fossil fuels, although we will still depend on them for decades. The development of vessels has been formidable, looking back at our first vessels, which at the time were at the forefront of fuel efficiency, and now these CSOV vessels, the reduction in fuel consumption is impressive. The offshore wind market is rapidly developing, and the newbuilds will set a standard for a new generation of offshore wind vessels – increasing the operational window while reducing emissions," Stig Remøy, Olympic's CEO, commented.

Photo: Ulstein Group