Jan De Nul Group has announced it has officially started the T&I contract for the construction of Orsted’s 242MW Gode Wind 3 and 900MW Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm in Germany.
The first batch of three monopile foundations left Steelwind’s yard in Nordenham, Germany, headed for Eemshaven in The Netherlands, which is part of Groningen Seaports.
Jan De Nul’s scope includes the transport and installation of 106 wind turbine monopile foundations and one offshore substation foundation, including associated topside.
Subcontractor Wagenborg has deployed its vessel Wagenborg Barge 8 for the transport of the monopiles foundations from Nordenham to marshalling harbour Eemshaven.
In summer Jan De Nul’s brand-new heavy lift vessel Les Alizés will arrive on site and install the first monopile foundation offshore, a baptism of fire for this brand-new vessel. Les Alizés was delivered by the CMHI Shipyard in China in January 2023 and is currently sailing to Eemshaven.
This vessel investment is a response to the global trend within the offshore wind energy sector to design and install increasingly larger wind turbines.
Les Alizés will be able to load out, transport and install multiple units of the largest and heaviest wind turbine foundations, according to Jan De Nul.
In addition, as a crane vessel that floats, she will be able to install heavier and larger foundations into deeper waters and in more challenging seabed conditions.
Les Alizés is fitted with a highly advanced exhaust filtering system by means of a Selective Catalytic Reduction system and a Diesel Particulate Filter, making it an Ultra-Low Emission vessel (ULEv), moreover Stage V-certified.
Both wind farms will use 11MW Siemens Gamesa turbines and are located in the German North Sea.
Delivery is foreseen to be completed in 2024.
Once in full operation in 2024 and 2025, respectively, these wind farms will generate enough electricity to power approx. 1.2 million German households every year.


