Wind energy – newbuilding
Van Oord has ordered a new mega offshore installation vessel to further strengthen its market position in offshore wind.
The jack-up vessel can operate on methanol and install up to 20 MW wind turbines at sea with a very low CO2 footprint. The investment is in line with the increasing global demand for offshore wind farms. The ship is expected to enter the market in 2024.
The vessel is being built by the Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard in China. The design is by Knud E Hansen. Components such as the Huisman crane and other technical systems are delivered to the yard by the various suppliers and integrated on site. The ship is expected to enter the market in 2024 and will work under the Dutch flag. Van Oord has also taken an option on a second vessel.
According to Pieter van Oord, CEO Van Oord, this investment prepares the company for the increase in scale in the offshore wind industry and allows Van Oord to maintain the leadership position.
The new 175-metre offshore installation vessel will be purpose-built for the transport and installation of foundations and turbines at offshore wind farms. With a top-class crane – supplied by the Dutch company Huisman – it can lift more than 3,000 tonnes. The vessel has an advanced jacking system. Four giant legs, each measuring 126 metres, allow the vessel to be jacked up and work in waters up to 70 metres deep. This investment is part of a EUR 1 billion fleet investment programme over the next 5 years
Van Oord is committed to reducing CO2 emissions and to becoming carbon-neutral by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. This investment is an example of the energy transition within the company. Marine fuels are becoming cleaner and, thanks to cleaner engines, emissions are reduced. Van Oord has already ordered three LNG-fuelled trailing suction hopper dredgers, which will be completed in 2022. The new installation vessel will be able to run on the future fuel methanol. Running on methanol, reduces the ship’s CO2 footprint by more than 78%. In addition, the vessel will be equipped with an advanced active emissions control technology (Selective Catalytic Reduction) to reduce the NOx emission to an absolute minimum. An installed 5,000 kWh battery pack can take the peak loads and regenerate energy to reduce the fuel consumption (and corresponding emissions) even further.