Van Oord is having a major upgrade done to its offshore installation vessel Aeolus with a new, longer book on its existing crane. The upgrade will enable the vessel to handle the newest generation of up to 15 MW turbines for offshore wind projects. 

Van Oord decided to upgrade the Aeolus to ensure that the vessel remains competitive in a rapidly changing market and, in particular, the increase in turbines sizes. The new 133 metre long boom is being designed and built by Huisman. The Aeolus will be fit for duty with the new boom as from early 2023. The vessel will then be capable of installing the new generation 12-15 MW turbines while maintaining its lifting capacity of 1,600 tons for foundation installations.

New building in full swing

The modification plan of the Aeolus fits in the strategy of Van Oord which is aimed to continuously invest in state-of-the-art sustainable technology. To keep delivering innovative solutions to the rapidly growing offshore wind industry, Van Oord also invested in a new offshore installation vessel, Boreas and a cable-laying vessel, Calypso.

Van Oord turns to methanol for jack-up vessel Boreas

Boreas is currently being built in China can operate on methanol and install wind turbines capable of up to 20 MW with a low carbon footprint. The vessel will be 175- metre long and can lift more than 3,000 tonnes. In August the steel cutting ceremony was performed and construction is running on schedule, according to Van Oord. Boreas is expected to enter the market in 2024.

Green cable-laying vessel Calypso

Calypso will be operational next year. This new DP2 vessel will be equipped with a below-deck cable carousel and a second carousel on deck, with total cable-carrying capacity of 8,000 tonnes. Apart from the ability to run on biofuel, this hybrid vessel has future-fuel ready engines with built-in flexibility to anticipate e-fuels. It will have a large battery pack, a shore supply connection and a state-of-the-art energy management system.