The first of the two new massive wind turbine installation vessels ordered by Cadeler was floated out at the Cosco Shipyard in China. The vessels are part of the company’s future fleet and with an increased size are designed to improve the efficiency of installation projects and handle the largest wind turbines.
The first of the vessels, Wind Peak, was floated out at the Cosco yard in Qidong, China on January 3. Cadeler highlights it as a milestone after two years of engineering work and 18 months of construction. The hull of the vessel is complete and it will now begin the final phase of construction which will include installing the jacking legs and cranes. The construction timetable calls for the vessel to undergo sea trials in mid-2024 and be delivered in the third quarter of this year.
The Wind Peak rivals Jan De Nul’s massive jack up vessel Voltaire which was billed as the largest ever for the offshore wind sector. The specs for the Wind Peak highlight that she has a maximum payload of over 17,600 tons compared to the rated 16,000-ton payload for the Voltaire. Wind Peak’s cranes have a 2,600-ton lift capacity to Voltaire’s 3,200-ton capacity although the actual capacity varies based on the jack up height and other factors.
Cadeler highlights its new vessel is designed to operate at some of the most difficult sites. Its increased transit capacity with 5,600 square meters of deck space means it will make fewer transits decreasing installation time and the associated costs. It will be able to transport and install seven complete 15 MW turbine sets at a time or five sets of the newest 20-plus MW turbines.
Source: The Maritime Executive
