Essex-based CWind, a leading provider of services to the offshore wind industry, has secured a two-year extension to an existing three-year crew transfer vessel contract with DONG Energy.

CWind, part of the Global Marine Group, based in Chelmsford, will continue to provide vessels for operations and maintenance at the 108-turbine West of Duddon Sands wind farm in the Irish Sea.

“This extension to our contract with DONG Energy is a fantastic achievement that reflects the great service we consistently deliver to customers,” said Lee Andrews, managing director at CWind.

“Winning a contract from a paper-based submission, as we did three years ago, is one thing, but securing an extension demonstrates our actual on-site performance levels and customer satisfaction.

“We have delivered on service and exceeded expectations in many areas, and we are determined to do the same over the next two years, relying on our can-do attitude and resourceful approach.”

Steven Clarke, head of West of Duddon Sands operations, said: “The turbines at West of Duddon Sands, which produce enough clean electricity to power up to 340,000 homes each year, are maintained by hard-working technicians journeying out to sea each day.

“The crew vessels CWind have provided over the last three years have had a high utilisation factor and we very much look forward to continuing our work together.”

Three of the CWind’s 18-strong fleet of Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) have been dedicated to the project, comprising a pair of 19-metre resin-infused Multi-Purpose Catamarans (MPCs) and one Small Water-plane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) vessel.

The robust and lightweight composite construction of the CTVs have proved to deliver fuel efficiencies and significant CO2 emission savings.

CWind has also won contracts to provide support vessels for a number of wind farms off the East Anglian coast, including Greater Gabbard and Galloper.