Netherlands-based Van Oord has confirmed the order of a new offshore installation vessel.
The 175m-long offshore installation vessel can run on much cleaner methanol fuel, which will reduce the new-build’s CO2 emissions by over 78%. Furthermore, the latest Van Oord ship will feature advanced active emissions control technology (Selective Catalytic Reduction) to ensure NOX emissions are also reduced. A 5,000kWh battery pack will be used for the regeneration of energy to further reduce emissions and fuel consumption.
Designed by Knud E. Hansen, the ship is being built by the Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard in China and will use a crane supplied by Dutch company Huisman, which can lift over 3,000 tons – a requirement for the large wind turbines that now feature rotor blades measuring over 100m in length.
An advanced jacking system with four legs measuring 126m each will enable the ship to carry out operations and the installation of wind turbines in waters up to 70m deep. The investment by Van Oord is part of a five-year US$1.2bn fleet investment program.
“Thanks to our experiences with the installation vessels Aeolus, MPI Resolution and MPI Adventure, we have a good grasp of working with jack-up installation vessels,” said Arnoud Kuis, managing director of offshore wind at Van Oord. “Now we are going one step further – the new ship will be the largest of its kind. Compared with the Aeolus, this new version has 88% more deck space and over 80% more lifting capacity.”
“To become carbon neutral by 2050, we look for new fuel technologies. We see methanol as one of the alternatives to meet the industry’s goals to reduce its environmental impact. Similar steps have already been made in our investment program with the construction of three LNG-fueled trailing suction hopper dredgers and the ordering of a new green cable-laying vessel,” commented Jaap de Jong, director of ship management at Van Oord.
Upon completion, the ship will enter service in 2024 and will work under the Dutch flag.