Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt has reached an important milestone with the steel cutting of the “DO Joule,” the first vessel in a new generation of Construction Commissioning Service Operation Vessels. The ceremony took place on 5 March at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou.
The vessel is the lead ship in a series of four C-CSOVs ordered by Schoeller Holdings. All four vessels will be built to the same specifications and are intended to support a wide range of offshore energy operations.
The steel cutting ceremony was initiated jointly by Johannes Wolters, managing director of Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt, Rangel Vassilev, director of newbuilding and special projects at Columbia Shipmanagement, and Xu Qiung, deputy general manager at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard. Under the project structure, Columbia Shipmanagement will provide technical management of the fleet, while Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt will serve as developer, operator and commercial manager.
The vessels are designed by Salt Ship Design and are intended to offer high versatility across offshore energy projects. Their modular configuration allows them to support operations throughout the entire lifecycle of offshore installations, including construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance.
Each vessel will measure 96.25 metres in length and 20 metres in width. Delivery of the first unit is scheduled for May 2027, with the remaining vessels expected to follow at three month intervals.
The C-CSOV design includes several advanced features aimed at supporting complex offshore operations. A gangway system with a large operational range enables safe access to offshore platforms located between 12 and 30 metres above the waterline. The vessels will also be equipped with advanced dynamic positioning capabilities, a HiPAP hydroacoustic positioning system and a helicopter deck designed to support global offshore deployment.
The ships will provide accommodation for up to 95 technicians and feature an 800 square metre modular working deck designed for installation, maintenance and subsea operations, including the deployment of remotely operated vehicles.
