Not enough vessels for 20MW-plus wind turbines, warn shipping giants
Rapid growth and technological advancements expose vessels shortages as a 'critical bottleneck', say ship operators
Operators spearheading a generation of installation vessels able to handle a new generation of supersized offshore wind turbines say numbers entering the sector are still falling short of what is required to plug a yawning supply gap.
Outside of China, the global offshore wind sector has faced persistent warnings about a looming shortage of vessels, even if the ramp up in capacity is less than expected before headwinds created by the Covid-19 pandemic and then the Ukraine war.
The shortfall is most acute when the increasing size of wind turbines is taken into account, warned Even Larsen, CEO of Havfram, a supplier of transport and installation services to the offshore wind sector.
