Jan de Nul plans 2022 delivery of ‘next generation’ floating offshore wind vessel

Offshore contractor Jan de Nul has launched a new vessel capable of installing and decommissioning the next generation of offshore wind farm components while floating.

Its Les Alizés is now ready for its final construction phase, including sea trials, which are due to be completed by the second half of 2022.

The vessel has a main crane capable of lifting 5,000 tonnes and will be able to install install both foundations and turbines.

Instead of using legs to lower onto the seabed it will be floating. The vessel will be stabilised by ballast water and active heave compensation – using a control system that actively tries to compensate for any movement at a specific point, using power to gain accuracy – in the main crane

Jan de Nul described the vessel as being “ultra-low emissions”, with a hybrid capability – operating with both a diesel generator and a battery.

The vessel is due to install monopile foundations at Ørsted’s 242MW Gode Wind 3 Gode Wind 3 (242MW) Offshorenorth of Juist and Norderney, Germany, Europe Click to see full details and 900MW Borkum Riffgrund 3 Borkum Riffgrund 3 (900MW) Offshorenorth-west of Borkum, Germany, Europe Click to see full details in the German North Sea.

Les Alizés uses diesel-driven generators with battery and drive technology. It can also run on second-generation biodiesel, Jan de Nul stated.

It is equipped with a dual exhaust filter system, which Jan de Nul claims can remove up to 99% of nanoparticles from emissions using a diesel particulate filter and reducing the nitrous oxide emissions and other pollutants by a selective catalytic reduction system.

Les Alizés also has a fully automated monopile handling system designed to operate in challenging weather conditions and high sea states.

Jan de Nul began the launch of the vessel at China Merchant Heavy Industry’s shipyard in Shenzhen, China on 2 January. It started by flooding the dry dock in which it was built, then moored the vessel alongside the adjacent quay wall.

Philippe Hutse, director of Jan de Nul’s offshore division said: “Together with our offshore jack-up installation vessel Voltaire – which is also under construction in China – we will have the perfect set of offshore installation vessels that will be able to install current and future generations of offshore wind farms.”