A new offshore installation vessel, Boreas, has been handed over to Van Oord during a ceremony at the Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore shipyard in China.
Boreas was purpose-built for the transport and installation of the next generation of foundations and turbines at offshore wind farms, and will be the largest of its kind once operational.
She measures 175 metres in length and has a 155-metre-high boom, which can lift more than 3,000 tonnes. Four giant legs, each measuring 126 metres, allow the vessel to be jacked up and work in waters up to 70 metres deep.
Boreas will be able to install up to 20MW offshore wind turbines at sea, and is the vessel is the first of its kind with the ability to operate on methanol.
She will now be prepared to sail to the Netherlands, where the final outfitting works will take place. This includes the installation of equipment for storing and handling the foundations of wind turbines.
Van Oord said Boreas is expected to be commercially available in the third quarter of 2025.