Van Oord Seals Nordseecluster Foundations Deal

May 28, 2024, by Adnan Memija

RWE has awarded a contract to Van Oord for the transportation and installation of the monopile foundations for the Nordseecluster offshore wind project in Germany.

Van Oord Nordseecluster — *Source: Van Oord; Illustration*

Van Oord’s scope of work includes the installation of 104 extended monopiles as well as the installation of scour protection. In 2025, there are plans to install 44 monopiles, with the remaining 60 units slated for installation in 2027.

RWE selected China-based Dajin offshore as the preferred foundations supplier for the offshore wind project.

The Nordseecluster is being implemented in two phases, the 660 MW Nordseecluster A and the 900 MW Nordseecluster B, each comprising two offshore wind farms.

Yesterday, RWE made the final investment decision to build the Nordseecluster in the German North Sea, about 50 kilometres north of Juist Island.

The 1.6 GW wind farm cluster is expected to generate enough renewable energy to supply the equivalent of 1.6 million German households.

The Nordseecluster project award is a major milestone for Van Oord because it will be the first project for the brand-new offshore installation vessel Boreas, which is currently under construction, said the company.

The jack-up vessel, with a crane capacity of more than 3,000 tonnes, can install up to 20 MW wind turbines at sea. The first steel for Boreas was cut in July 2022 while the keel-laying ceremony was held at the end of that year.

According to Van Oord, the jack-up will be the first of its kind to be able to run on methanol, using Wärtsilä’s dedicated fuel supply system, MethanolPac.