Van Oord’s next-generation jack-up vessel Boreas had its keel laying ceremony at the Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore (YCRO) yard in China on Tuesday, 27 December.
The 175-metre vessel will be the first to feature Wärtsilä’s dedicated fuel supply system for methanol, MethanolPac.
The jack-up will be purpose-built for the transport and installation of foundations and wind turbines. With a crane supplied by the Dutch company Huisman, the vessel will have a lifting capacity of over 3,000 tonnes which will enable it to install 20 MW wind turbines.
Designed by Knud E Hansen, the offshore installation vessel will also feature an advanced jacking system. Four legs, each measuring 126 metres, will allow the ship to be jacked up and work in waters up to 70 metres deep.
The first steel was already cut for Boreas which is expected to enter the market in 2024 and will work under the Dutch flag.
Van Oord has also taken an option on a second vessel.