Van Oord’s Svanen Getting Ready for Next-Generation Offshore Wind Components

December 11, 2023, by Adnan Durakovic

Van Oord’s heavy-lift installation vessel Svanen will undergo upgrades including the extension of the gantry by 25 metres, making the vessel ready to handle the next generation of monopile foundations for offshore wind projects.

The extension of the gantry crane makes the Svanen one of the largest heavy-lift installation vessels worldwide, Van Oord said.

The extension, weighing 1,200 tonnes, will be constructed by Holland Shipyards and installed using a 200-metre high Mammoet crane.

Besides the gantry extension, the upgrade programme includes an upgrade of the lifting hooks which will increase the lifting capacity of the vessel from 3,000 tonnes to 4,500 tonnes, an upgrade of the gripper to handle increased loads, and an upgrade of the structure of the vessel to accommodate the latest hammer size.

The modifications will take place on several locations in the Netherlands, mainly in Rotterdam the area. The upgraded Svanen will be operational in the third quarter of 2024.

”Because of the global need for renewable energy, wind farm technology is rapidly advancing and turbines are getting larger. The upgrade of the Svanen prepares us for this increase in scale and allows us to maintain our leadership position in the offshore wind industry,” Arnoud Kuis, Managing Director Offshore Wind, said.

The first project for the upgraded Svanen will be the Baltic Power offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. This wind farm will feature a new generation of wind turbines, with a generating capacity of 15 MW.

Due to the upgrade, the Svanen will be able to install the foundations of these new-generation wind turbines. Besides the high lifting height and the significant lifting capacity, the low draught makes the Svanen well suited for operations in the Baltic Sea, Van Oord said. The vessel has already played a role in several Baltic projects, such as Kriegers Flak, Baltic 2, Arkona, and Baltic Eagle.

The Svanen was originally designed for the construction of bridges. In 2005, the energy transition kicked off the Dutch offshore wind market, and the Svanen was modified for the installation of monopiles and transition pieces. Since then, the vessel has installed approximately 700 monopiles and 223 transition pieces with yearly increasing dimensions and weight. The Svanen already got a major upgrade in 2017 and will now be upgraded again.