Van Oord Takes Delivery of Calypso

August 29, 2023, by Adnan Durakovic

Van Oord has taken delivery of the company’s new cable-laying vessel, the Calypso, following the vessel’s arrival in the Netherlands.

The Calypso will be officially christened in Rotterdam in September, Van Oord said.

The final construction phase took place at the Vard Brattvaag shipyard in Norway, where the cable-related equipment was installed on the vessel.

The Calypso is Van Oord’s second cable-laying vessel in addition to the Nexus.

The vessel is not only fitted with a cable carousel on deck but also with a second, below-deck cable carousel, with a total cable-carrying capacity of 8,000 tonnes.

The Calypso will mainly be deployed to install inter-array grid and export cables for offshore wind projects, including high-voltage direct current cables. Van Oord’s cable trenchers can also be operated from the vessel.

Van Oord added that the vessel has been designed with the latest sustainable technologies in order to reduce its carbon footprint during operations and when on port standby.

The construction of the Calypso in Norway has enabled Van Oord to secure a Green Loan from Eksfin, a Norwegian governmental enterprise. This recognition stems from the Calypso’s role in enabling expansion of renewable offshore energy.

For Van Oord, it was the first time a Green Loan certificate was issued based on the intended purpose of the vessel in the energy transition. Financing is provided as a corporate loan and will be partially used to fund the final construction milestones of the Calypso and help optimise Van Oord’s financing structure.