Van Oord Secures Contract for Nordseecluster foundations

Van Oord, a Dutch maritime contracting company, has been awarded the contract for the transport and installation of monopile foundations for the Nordseecluster offshore wind project in Germany by RWE. This significant project involves the installation of foundations for a 1.6 GW wind farm cluster, which is expected to generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 1.6 million German households.

This contract marks a milestone for Van Oord as it will be the first project utilizing their new offshore installation vessel, Boreas, which is still under construction. The project will see Van Oord installing 104 extended monopiles and scour protection. The installation is scheduled in two phases, with 44 monopiles set for 2025 and the remaining 60 in 2027.

The Boreas, touted as the largest offshore installation vessel of its kind, is designed specifically for the transport and installation of advanced foundations and turbines for offshore wind farms. The vessel features a crane capacity of over 3,000 tonnes and can install wind turbines of up to 20 MW. Notably, the Boreas can operate entirely on methanol, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. Green methanol, produced using renewable energy, can cut the Boreas’ emissions by more than 78%, aligning with Van Oord’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.