Van Oord’s Offshore Installation Vessel Transits Through World’s Largest Sea Lock

Van Oord’s latest offshore installation vessel, Boreas, has arrived in the Netherlands after a 14,700 nautical mile voyage from China. The vessel navigated through the world’s largest sea lock in IJmuiden before reaching its destination, marking an impressive sight.

The final stages of outfitting and commissioning will take place in the Netherlands before it begins its first offshore wind project.

Currently, Boreas is docked at TMA Logistics in the Port of Amsterdam, where it will be equipped with wind turbine foundation equipment and installation tools.

Once the outfitting is complete, the vessel will be christened in Rotterdam in June.

A senior official at Van Oord described the vessel’s arrival as a major milestone, emphasising the hard work and dedication put by the team over the past four years.

They added that the company looks forward to deploying Boreas on offshore wind projects to contribute to the global energy transition.

Boreas is one of the largest offshore installation vessels in its kind at 175 meters in length. It is fitted with a crane that can lift over 3,000 tonnes and a 155 meter high boom, making it ideal for handling next-generation wind turbines and their foundations.

The vessel is also equipped with four massive legs, each measuring 126 meters, which allow it to jack up and work in waters as deep as 70 meters.

Boreas is designed with sustainability in mind. It is the first offshore installation vessel capable of running on methanol, reducing its environmental impact by more than 78%.

The vessel is also fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to minimise NOx emissions and features a 6,000 kilowatt hour battery pack that helps manage peak energy loads and regenerate power, further cutting fuel consumption.

Reference: Van Oord

Source: Maritime Shipping News