In the context of the tender issued by France for the construction and operation of offshore wind farms (3 GW to be installed by 2015), French shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group and shipyard STX France join forces into the development of a multipurpose assistance vessel equipped with dynamic positioning.
This project is tightly anchored in the establishment of a French industrial cluster capable of responding to the tender launched by the French government. The design, construction and operation of the vessel will be based  on the recognized expertise of the two groups.
Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and STX France have identified a design for a multi-purpose assistance vessel, capable of performing many tasks to help recoup required investment.
The multi-purpose assistance vessel, designed by the teams of STX Saint-Nazaire and Lorient in association with those of the Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, will be in charge of laying and protecting power cables, providing assistance to light diving operations and transporting heavy cargoes during installation operations, as the ship operator states. Throughout the operational phase, the vessel will allow inspections and repairs of all the equipment installed and will provide an accommodation capacity to 60 passengers. An innovative propulsion system of the vessel, provided by engines burning natural gas (LNG), are said to guarantee the elimination of sulfur oxides emissions, 90% reductions in nitrogen oxides, of particles (soot) and a cut of 20% of CO2 emissions.