Van Oord Takes Delivery Of The World’s Largest Wind Installation Vessel

Dutch offshore contractor Van Oord received its latest and most advanced offshore wind installation vessel, Boreas, during a ceremony at the Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Shipyard in China.

The vessel, named after the Greek god of Northern winds, is designed to handle the next generation of offshore wind turbines and foundations.

The Boreas is purpose-built to install massive wind turbine foundations and turbines at offshore wind farms. At 175 meters long, with a 155-meter high boom capable of lifting over 3,000 tonnes, it is the largest vessel of its kind.

Its four massive legs, each measuring 126 meters, enable it to work in waters up to 70 meters deep. This capability allows Boreas to install turbines up to 20 MW, ensuring it is equipped for the future of offshore wind energy.

Boreas is the first offshore wind installation vessel ready to run on methanol, a cleaner alternative fuel. This reduces its carbon footprint by more than 78%.

The vessel also features advanced emission control technology to minimise nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and a 6,000 kWh battery system to optimise energy use and reduce fuel consumption.

The company’s Director of Ship Management, Harold Linssen, expressed his pride in the successful delivery of the vessel and thanked everyone involved in its construction.

Linssen shared that Boreas is a major investment in strengthening Van Oord’s position as a leader in offshore wind installations.

The company has been building its fleet to keep up with industry demands, which include specialised vessels like Aeolus for turbine installation and Svanen, a heavy-lift crane vessel.

Before entering commercial service in the third quarter of 2025, the Boreas will sail to the Netherlands for final outfitting. This work will include installing equipment to handle and store wind turbine foundations.

The vessel has already got its first project- the Nordseecluster offshore wind farm in Germany.

The Nordseecluster project will generate 1.6GW of renewable energy, enough to power 1.6 million households. Boreas will install 104 monopile foundations, with 44 scheduled for 2025 and the remaining 60 in 2027.

Zhao Hui, Vice President of CIMC Raffles Group, talked about the importance of the project during the ceremony. He described Boreas as a benchmark for the offshore wind industry, capable of transforming how large turbines and foundations are transported and installed.

Hui praised the teamwork between Van Oord, CIMC Raffles, and other partners in achieving this milestone.

Reference: Van Oord

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