Van Oord's Giant Offshore Wind Installation Vessel to Debut in Germany
OE Staff
April 26, 2023
Dutch offshore installation services company Van Oord has been appointed as a preferred supplier for the transport and installation of foundations for the 1.6 GW Nordseecluster wind project in Germany, a joint venture between RWE and Northland Power.
The Nordseecluster is expected to supply electricity to the equivalent of 1,600,000 German households annually as of 2029.
The cluster consists of four offshore wind farms in the German North Sea, 35 kilometers North of the island of Juist and 55 kilometers off the German Coast.
The Nordseecluster will be constructed in two phases. Van Oord will install a total of 104 extended monopiles with a weight up to 1,750 tonnes, of which 44 foundations will be installed in 2025 and 60 more in 2027.
This will be the first project for Van Oord's new offshore installation vessel Boreas, currently under construction. According to Van Orrd, the Boreas installation vessel will be the largest of its kind once operational.
The 175-meter Boreas is purpose-built for transporting and installing the next generation of foundations and turbines at offshore wind farms.
It will have an advanced jacking system and can lift more than 3,000 tonnes. Four legs, each measuring 126 meters, will allow the vessel to be jacked up and work in waters up to 70 meters deep.
