Building upon the successfully funded CMDC 4 project, Future FOW Installation Vessel (FFIV), this project will undertake the next design phase for ship, the Celtic Constructor. Specifically focusing on de-risking the concept as an economically efficient methanol powered vessel for deploying fibre rope mooring systems for floating offshore wind (FOW) farms. The UK is at the forefront of offshore wind expansion, a vital component of its clean energy transition. However, with ambitious targets to increase offshore wind capacity from 13.6 GW to 50 GW by 2050, and a project pipeline exceeding 100 GW, emissions from operation and maintenance vessels, which constituted 3.2% of domestic shipping emissions in 2022, could escalate significantly. Achieving these targets necessitates a step-change in offshore construction, from one of installations to large arrays. Aiming to do this and utilise clean shipping innovations requires a new vessel class with innovative features. While historical offshore wind development focused on fixed foundations, the future lies in floating foundations, unlocking deeper sites and stronger winds. The Celtic Constructor project directly addresses the need for specialised vessels in this evolving landscape. This project will look to remove the uncertainties within the previously developed concept design, by iterating on the stability, hydrodynamics and techno-economic aspects of the design, to produce a more detailed design suitable for ship owners and yards to consider for building. This will be done in regular conjunction with an already established stakeholder network to ensure all elements of the design are fit for purpose. This includes working with rope manufacturers to consider factors such as rope tensioning, spooling, and deployment methodologies to minimise operational time and maximise safety. The project benefits from a strong UK SME team with extensive experience in offshore operations, naval architecture, marine engineering, and FOW technology. This expertise ensures a practical and robust design outcome. By further exploring the reduced hull resistance and increased storage capacity for fibre rope handling of the proposed design, it is expected that this project will yield a design for a vessel that is both a) capable of reducing the overall initial carbon footprint of installed FOW arrays, and b) attractive to ship owners and developers for further investment and commissioning a vessel build. The project will engage with UK shipbuilders to ensure it is capable of building in the UK, thereby solidifying the UK's leadership in floating offshore wind technology deployment.

The United Kingdom is at the forefront of offshore wind expansion, boasting a thriving industry that provides clean, dependable energy, generates environmentally friendly employment opportunities, and plays a crucial role in the nation's transition to clean energy. Greenhouse gas emissions from offshore wind farm operation and maintenance vessels constituted 3.2% of domestic shipping emissions (192 ktCO2e) in the UK in 2022\. With ambitious targets to develop the UK's offshore wind capacity from 13.6 GW (2023) to 50 GW by 2050 and with a UK project pipeline over 100 GW, this percentage could rise to over 23% or 1,380 ktCO2e per year as this pipeline is realised in a business-as-usual scenario. To reach the ambitious targets set out by the UK government, the offshore construction market will need to reach a serial production level not previously seen in offshore industries. This provides a huge opportunity to deliver clean shipping objectives by directly innovating a new vessel class, and its functional capabilities to meet this challenge. Historically, most offshore wind development has involved installing fixed foundations rigidly attached to the seabed. The next chapter of offshore wind development will move towards using floating foundations, unlocking deeper sites, and accessing stronger winds further from shore. This new technology field will involve mooring floating foundations to support the world's largest offshore wind turbines. The Future FOW (Floating Offshore Wind) Installation Vessel (FFIV) project is focused on assessing the feasibility of a new class of vessel, aimed at minimising greenhouse gas emissions during the construction and maintenance of the next generation of Offshore Wind farms. The project brings together a capable and experienced team of UK SMEs with direct end-user experience of the challenges of offshore operations in the oil and gas and offshore renewable energy sectors. Expertise within the team includes offshore operations planning and delivery, naval architecture and marine engineering, regulations governing the design of innovative vessels, FOW stakeholder mapping and analysis and marine research and development project management. The end product of the FFIV project will be an outline design of the next generation of offshore wind construction vessels, fully embracing the clean maritime objective and ready to be included in the national shipbuilding strategy, cementing the UK position in delivery of net zero 2050\.