Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Aeolus (pictured) is to get a major crane upgrade to handle 15MW turbines for offshore wind projects.
Van Oord decided to upgrade the Aeolus to ensure that the vessel remains competitive in a rapidly changing market and, in particular, the increase in turbines sizes.
The new 133m long boom is being designed and built by Huisman. The Aeolus will be fit for duty with the new boom as from early 2023, Van Oord said.
The vessel will then be capable of installing the new generation 12-15MW turbines while maintaining its lifting capacity of 1,600t for foundation installations.
The modification plan of the Aeolus fits in the strategy of Van Oord which is aimed to continuously invest in state-of-the-art sustainable technology.
To keep delivering innovative solutions to the rapidly growing offshore wind industry, Van Oord also invested in a new offshore installation vessel, Boreas and a cable-laying vessel, Calypso.
Boreas is currently being built in China can operate on methanol and install wind turbines capable of up to 20MW with a low carbon footprint, according to Van Oord.
The vessel will be 175-metres long and can lift more than 3,000 tonnes.
In August the steel cutting ceremony was performed and construction is running on schedule. Boreas is expected to enter the market in 2024.
Calypso will be operational next year.
This new DP2 vessel will be equipped with a below-deck cable carousel and a second carousel on deck, with total cable-carrying capacity of 8,000 tonnes.
Apart from the ability to run on biofuel, this hybrid vessel has future-fuel ready engines with built-in flexibility to anticipate e-fuels.
Van Oord said it will have a large battery pack, a shore supply connection and a state-of-the-art energy management system.
Van Oord chief executive Pieter Van Oord said: “These investments prepare us for the increase in scale in the offshore wind industry, strengthens our leadership position and reduce our carbon footprint during offshore wind installation.”