Van Oord orders wind farm installation vessel at CIMC Raffles
Dutch offshore marine service group Van Oord has ordered a new offshore installation vessel to further strengthen its market position in offshore wind. The ship will be built by Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard in China and enter the market in 2024.
The new 175 m offshore installation vessel, designed by Knud E Hansen, will be purpose-built for the transport and installation of foundations and turbines at offshore wind farms. The jack-up vessel will be able to operate on methanol and install up to 20 MW wind turbines. It will sport a crane that can lift more than 3,000 tonnes and four 126 m legs, allowing the vessel to be jacked up and work in waters up to 70 m deep.
“This investment prepares us for the increase in scale in the offshore wind industry and allows us to maintain our leadership position,” said Pieter van Oord, CEO of the group.
The investment is part of a €1bn ($1.16bn) fleet investment programme over the next 5 years. In December 2020, Van Oord had already ordered a new green cable-laying vessel at Vard in Norway.
