Heerema, Boskalis upgrading offshore wind installation fleets
Heerema Marine Contractors will supply a newbuild floatover barge for installation of offshore substations for TenneT in the North Sea.
The vessel will be customized to support installation of more than 30,000 metric tons of 2-GW substations and topsides for the expansion of the Dutch and German electricity grids.
TenneT’s 2-GW program involves standardization and long-term agreements that allow contractors to commit to investments to de-risk the program. The company plans to install more than 14 DC offshore power converters in the North Sea.
Royal Boskalis has ordered Windpiper, a new subsea rock installation vessel with a cargo capacity of 45,500 metric tons, which it claims will be the industry’s largest.
The vessel, due to be delivered in first-quarter 2026, is being converted from an existing new vessel under Boskalis’ direction. It will be 227 m long and 40 m wide, with total installed power of more than 31 MW.
In addition to a moonpool, the vessel will feature an inclined fall pipe to help protect offshore structures such as the foundations of offshore wind turbines. It will have seven thrusters and DP2 dynamic positioning for operations in harsh offshore conditions.
The vessel’s capacity will be divided over two holds to suit projects with a long transit distance between rock loading facilities and the offshore site (i.e., along the US East Coast, the Baltic Sea and the southern North Sea).
According to Boskalis, the large capacity should reduce the number of round trips, leading to less emissions and lower costs per installed volume of rock. It will also have more than 100 single-occupancy cabins.
About the Author
Jeremy Beckman
Editor, Europe
Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.