Jan De Nul has sold its 2011-built jackup wind turbine installation vessel Taillevent to undisclosed buyers.
to undisclosed buyers.The Belgian offshore service provider said the sale includes the vessel only, with the crew deployed to other Jan De Nul vessels.
“The decision to sell is a result of the rapid change in future offshore wind component sizes, requiring larger and custom-designed installation vessels during construction,” the company said in a statement.
Jan De Nul Group has two offshore wind installation vessels under construction: Voltaire, the world’s tallest jackup vessel, and the floating installation vessel Les Alizés.
The company said it is currently evaluating other newbuild projects to further enhance its fleet of installation vessels.
Does this then suggest that off shore wind turbines will require bespoke and more expensive installation and support vessels. How is this factored into claims that off shore wind is the cheapest form of power generation. Wind power is intermittent at best and can flat line (as it has done in the UK for weeks). It also has costs for cable maintenance some of which have recently been identified as being well beyond expectations and predictions. Add in the ongoing through life maintenance costs using diesel powered support ships and the whole picture looks murky.