Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) has reached a key milestone in the expansion of its offshore fleet with the delivery of ‘Windea Clarke’, the fourth and final vessel in its latest newbuilding series of Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs). The vessel, which was christened at Ulstein Verft in Norway, will directly enter its first seasonal charter on an offshore wind project in the UK North Sea.

With the addition of ‘Windea Clarke’, BSO completes a homogeneous series of four new state-of-the-art CSOVs, which have been integrated into the existing offshore fleet, now comprising seven units, since mid-2025.

Matthias Müller, Managing Director Bernhard Schulte Offshore, said: “With ‘Windea Clarke’, we are completing a strategically important series of vessels that strengthens our ability to support offshore projects with reliable tonnage while significantly reducing the environmental footprint. It enables us to deliver efficient and scalable services across construction, commissioning and maintenance phases to the global offshore energy industry.”

“The delivery of ‘Windea Clarke’ marks another milestone in our strong and valued partnership with Bernhard Schulte Offshore. Their continued trust in Ulstein reflects a shared ambition to challenge the oceans and push the boundaries of offshore vessel design,” says Gunvor Ulstein, CEO of Ulstein Group.

PURPOSE-BUILT TO
Like her sister vessels, ‘Windea Clarke’ has been purpose-built to meet the evolving demands of the offshore energy industry. Based on Ulstein’s advanced vessel design, the ship combines high operational performance, energy efficiency and excellent seakeeping characteristics. The vessel features Ulstein’s TWIN X-STERN solution, which provides exceptional manoeuvrability, reduced motion and improved fuel efficiency, all key qualities for safe and sustainable offshore operations. Combined with hybrid battery propulsion and a design prepared for future methanol use, the series of vessels is optimised for low-emission operations.

A distinctive feature of ‘Windea Clarke’ is its DNV SILENT-E class notation, confirming that the vessel meets defined limits for underwater radiated noise emissions to protect the marine life. By incorporating noise-reducing measures such as optimised propeller design, vibration control and a holistic noise-aware vessel layout, ‘Windea Clarke’ is designed to minimise its acoustic footprint.

COMFORTABLE ACCOMMODATION
The ‘Windea Clarke’ offers comfortable accommodation in single cabins for offshore personnel and is fitted with a centrally positioned, height-adjustable walk-to-work gangway and elevator tower to enable safe personnel and cargo transfers. A 3D motion-compensated crane supports offshore handling operations, while extensive storage areas and stepless workflows enhance operational efficiency. ‘Windea Clarke’ features a height-adjustable boat-landing system which enables easy transfer between the CSOV and smaller crew transfer vessels – a key safety feature when operating in offshore wind farms. It is also equipped with a helideck, enabling flexible dispatch of technicians and crew change.

CONTINUES THE NAMING TRADITION
The new vessel continues the naming tradition of the newbuilding series, which honours pioneering scientists. ‘Windea Clarke’ is named after Edith Clarke, a trailblazing electrical engineer whose work made a lasting contribution to modern power systems engineering.

With the completion of this four-vessel series, BSO further consolidates its role as a trusted partner to the offshore energy industry, offering modern, versatile vessels designed to meet the increasing scale and complexity of offshore projects.

About Bernhard Schulte Offshore

• Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BS Offshore) is the offshore unit of the Schulte Group. Founded in 2015,
• Hamburg-based BS Offshore as an asset provider is responsible for the group's offshore activities in the offshore wind, oil, and gas markets.
• The Schulte Group is an international, family-owned group of companies specialising in ship owning, ship management, maritime software solutions, maritime services and asset management.
•  With over 140 years of expertise in the industry, the Schulte Group controls a modern and diversified fleet of over 80 fully and partly owned vessels and manages 670 ships.
•  Through its global network of more than 30 offices in major shipping locations, the Schulte Group employs 40,000 crew and 5,000 people on shore.