Jan De Nul has ordered a new subsea rock installation vessel to strengthen protection of critical offshore infrastructure including energy and data cables.
The George W. Goethals will have a capacity of 37,000 tonnes and operate with flexible and inclined fall pipe systems to install large rocks at depths of up to 400 metres.
The vessel will be an ultra-low emission unit equipped with dual exhaust filters, hybrid power systems and engines capable of running on biofuel and green methanol. It will also feature four electric excavators for loading operations.
Jan De Nul said the vessel will focus on energy projects in the North Sea and Southeast Asia, regions where offshore wind and interconnection capacity is expanding rapidly.
Director offshore energy Philippe Hutse said: “Protecting the infrastructure that supports offshore energy production and transmission is essential to create a reliable energy system worldwide.”
The George W. Goethals is the third rock installation vessel above 30,000 tonnes in the company’s fleet, all designed in-house. Jan De Nul’s subsea rock installation fleet now has a combined capacity of more than 100,000 tonnes.
Alongside the new vessel, the company is building two extra-large cable layers, the Fleeming Jenkin and William Thomson, each with a carrying capacity of 28,000 tonnes to support long-distance interconnectors.