Van Oord's new offshore wind vessel nears sailaway

Van Oord’s new offshore installation vessel, Boreas, is close to departing China for the Netherlands, following a handover ceremony at the Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore shipyard.

Boreas, named after the Greek god of the northern winds, is designed for the transport and installation of next-generation offshore wind turbines and foundations.

It is 175 m long, with a 155-m high boom, and it can lift loads of more than 3,000 metric tons. Four 126-m legs will allow the vessel to be jacked up to work in waters up to 70 m deep, enabling installation of wind turbines of up to 20 MW.

According to Van Oord, it is the first vessel of its type prepared to operate in the future on methanol, a measure said to reduce the ship’s footprint by more than 78%.

Upon arrival in the Netherlands, it will undergo final outfitting, including equipment for storing and handling wind turbine foundations. It should be ready to start operations during the summer.