GC Rieber Shipping (“RISH”) has today placed an order for two firm WindKeeper
vessels at Cemre shipyard in Turkey. The order includes options for further two
vessels. First vessel will be delivered in Q1 2025.
WindKeeper is an innovative Service Operation Vessel (SOV) based on Small Water
Area Twin Hull (SWATH) methodology and design. The design offers improved
operability, ultra-low fuel consumption and option of fully electric operations
in field.
Commencing development in 2016, GC Rieber Shipping has spent vast resources in
developing and testing the WindKeeper, ensuring Tier 1+ performance.
Development includes close cooperation with key equipment suppliers, detailed
simulations and several rounds of tank tests, latest at SINTEF, Norway in 2022.
WindKeeper has been developed to deliver two key value adding attributes to
clients and the offshore wind market ;
· A substantial lower environmental footprint compared to monohull. The first
generation WindKeeper will deliver substantial reduced emissions from day 1
· Sea and station keeping performance widening the operational window in a
safe and efficient manner
The stand-alone company structure WindKeeper AS, wholly owned by GC Rieber
Shipping, has been set up for the WindKeeper vessels. Total investment in
WindKeeper is abt. EUR 110 million.
The project and vessels are fully financed through a combination of equity and
debt financing. Sparebanken Vest and Eksfin has provided long term loan
facilities of minimum EUR 51 million.
“In 2020, GC Rieber Shipping made a strategic decision to become a pure
shipowner and project-house with focus on developing profitable and sustainable
maritime projects. We are proud to launch WindKeeper as our first project. The
solidity of environmental and operational performances of WindKeeper are a
testament to the strong technical capabilities within GC Rieber Shipping. Coming
off close to a decade of downturn in the offshore industry, being able to
finance and realize such a project on a stand-alone basis, further evidences the
strong capacities of the project house. Our ambition is to build WindKeeper into
a substantial and valuable player in the offshore wind industry,” GC Rieber
Shipping CEO Einar Ytredal, said in a comment.
Christoffer Knudsen, GC Rieber Shipping CCO, said ; “We look forward to showing
future clients and the market the exceptional performance of WindKeeper!
WindKeeper will drive down charterers daily costs and substantially reduce their
emissions, improving their environmental footprint. We believe WindKeeper will
be a preferred alternative for this decade. WindKeeper’s Charge2Work, zero
emission alternative, further allows for the option of fully electric operations
in field.”
For more information, please visit www.windkeeper.no
Contact information:
Einar Ytredal, CEO, GC Rieber Shipping, phone: +47 975 20 184
Christoffer Knudsen, CCO, GC Rieber Shipping, phone: +47 926 18 226
Øystein Kvåle, CFO, GC Rieber Shipping, phone: +47 479 02 919
About GC Rieber Shipping:
GC Rieber Shipping is a shipowner and project-house with focus on developing
profitable and sustainable maritime projects.
Further information about the company, please go to www.gcrieber-shipping.com.
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5
-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.