Bernhard Schulte Offshore (BSO) has taken delivery of a new commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV), built at Ulstein Verft in Norway on behalf of an institutional investor.
The vessel was christened Windea Carnot and is the third of three sister ships built at Ulstein that BSO has integrated into its offshore fleet since mid-2025. BSO now operates six specialised vessels serving the global offshore energy industry.
BSO MD Matthias Müller said: “The offshore market offers promising prospects. Therefore, we are pleased to have added Windea Carnot to our portfolio. The Ulstein design, characterised by reliability, flexibility and innovative features, is very well received by the offshore industry.”
Windea Carnot features Ulstein’s Twin X-Stern solution, which provides high manoeuvrability, reduced vessel motions and improved fuel efficiency—key qualities for safe and sustainable offshore operations. Featuring hybrid battery propulsion and prepared for future methanol fuel use, the CSOV is designed for low-emission operations and is intended for both operations and maintenance (O&M) as well as construction support activities, including deployments in demanding offshore conditions.
The CSOV, offering single cabins for up to 90 charterers’ personnel, is fitted with a centrally positioned, height-adjustable walk-to-work gangway and elevator tower to enable safe personnel and cargo transfers. Windea Carnot is equipped with a helideck for helicopters with a maximum take-off weight of up to 8.6t. A 3D motion-compensated crane with a lifting capacity of up to 5t supports offshore handling operations, while storage areas and step-free access optimise onboard logistics. In addition, a height-adjustable boat-landing system enables stepless transfer between the CSOV and smaller crew transfer vessels, a key safety feature when operating in offshore wind farms.
The newbuilding is named after the French physicist and engineer Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot, who is widely regarded as the father of thermodynamics. This naming continues the tradition of the two previous sister ships, Windea Curie and Windea Clausius, also named after scientists.
Image: BSO’s new CSOV features hybrid battery propulsion and a methanol-ready design (credit: Ulstein Group)
