Jan De Nul has held a keel laying ceremony for offshore wind jack-up vessel Voltaire at the Cosco Shipping yard in Nantong, China.
Cosco and Bureau Veritas representatives were present at the ceremony.
Jan De Nul said Voltaire will be the first jack-up on the market capable of transporting, lifting and installing next-generation offshore wind turbines and larger foundations.
A larger deck space will also enable the vessel to optimise installations at sea and to lower the fuel consumption and emissions, the company said.
Voltaire will also be deployable for the oil and gas industry and for decommissioning of offshore structures, it added.
The vessel will be equipped with a main crane of over 3000 tonnes and a DP2 system.
It will have an operating depth of over 80 metres, a payload of about 14,000 tonnes and accommodation for 110 people.
Voltaire will be delivered in 2022.