Norwind Offshore has agreed a new connectivity and digitalisation deal with Inmarsat covering three of the company’s Service Operation Vessels (SOV).
The contract includes an existing Platform Supply Vessel undergoing retrofit to become a SOV, with delivery due in May 2022, and a letter of intent covering two newbuilds.
All three vessels will have Inmarsat’s Fleet LTE, used to switch between 4G offshore fibre networks and the Fleet Xpress Ka-band VSAT service when sailing out of LTE coverage zones, with FleetBroadband’s L-band coverage for back-up.
The vessels will also have access to IoT and software applications through Inmarsat’s Fleet Data and Fleet Connect infrastructure, as well as the Fleet Hotspot system for crew connectivity.
As part of its digitalisation programme, Norwind will create a single digital infrastructure for various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) onboard to monitor equipment and collect data to assist in making data-driven decisions.
“We see Inmarsat as the ideal partner for the offshore wind sector,” said Roy Ove Standal, Chief Operating Officer, Norwind Offshore.
“Thanks to our agreement, we now have a clear path to digitalisation which works towards our safety, operational efficiency, sustainability and crew welfare objectives from day one. Fleet LTE allows us to tap into available 4G infrastructure, when such technology is available at the wind parks, thereby minimising the gap between the internet services that can be enjoyed ashore.”
