Danish wind farm installation vessel owner and operator Cadeler A/S has ordered a new F-class jack-up at COSCO Heavy Industries in China.
The new F-class vessel is said to be unique in terms of flexibility and scope, as it can be converted from the installation of large foundations to the installation of wind turbine generators within a short period of time.
This is the fifth vessel that Cadeler will have in its fleet, hence creating the largest and most capable fleet of jack-up vessels in the offshore wind industry, the company said.
The contract is valued at USD 345 million (EUR 327 million) and includes an option for an additional X- or F-class vessel.
Cadeler said the new vessel will enable the company to target the growing segment of large-scale foundation installations and to offer a complete set of services within the transport and installation of offshore wind farms.
”Developing our fleet is a key strategic priority to meet the increasing demand for installation capacity. We are proud once again to push the boundaries of our industry by providing the most efficient vessels to stakeholders developing increasingly complex projects,” Mikkel Gleerup , CEO of Cadeler A/S said.
Cadeler is currently building two X-class vessels to be delivered by COSCO Heavy Industries in the second half of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. The F-class vessel will be built on specifications similar to the two X-class vessels.
”Cosco Heavy Industries were chosen due to their expertise, reliability, and high standards in building complex windfarm installation vessels. COSCO is a strategic partner building our X-class vessels, and we have full confidence in their ability to deliver another state-of-the-art vessel,” Gleerup said.
The new F-class is expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2025 and Cadeler is currently in discussion for an XL Monopile foundation installation contract in the North Sea , expected to commence in the second quarter of 2026.
With a deck space of 5,600m2, a payload of more than 17,600 tons, and a main crane capacity to be disclosed at a later date, the X- and F-class vessels will be able to transport and install seven complete 15 MW turbine sets per load or five sets of 20+ MW turbines , cutting down the number of trips needed for each project, Cadeler said.
The F-class will also be able to transport up to six XL monopiles (weight 2,300-2,600mt each) per round-trip.
The X- and F-class vessels are built at COSCO’s shipyard in Qidong in China. The strategic partners for the large-scale new builds include GustoMSC NOV , Kongsberg , Huisman , and MAN Energy .