Following an 18-month conversion programme, Windpiper is set to strengthen Boskalis’ capabilities in subsea rock installation for offshore wind and marine infrastructure projects
Boskalis has marked the completion of the conversion of its new offshore vessel Windpiper, which is now ready to enter service as what the company describes as the world’s largest subsea rock installation vessel.
The vessel has undergone an extensive 18-month conversion programme, transforming it into a specialist asset designed to support large-scale offshore energy and marine infrastructure projects.
Windpiper was officially christened by Ms Jones-Bos, a member of the Boskalis Supervisory Board, during a ceremony attended by company representatives and invited guests.
To celebrate the milestone, Boskalis also welcomed more than 3,000 employees and their family members on board the vessel during a special open day, marking the completion of one of the company’s most significant vessel conversion projects.
The commissioning of the 227-metre-long and 40-metre-wide Windpiper doubles Boskalis’ subsea rock installation capacity, significantly strengthening its ability to support large-scale offshore energy and marine infrastructure projects. With a cargo capacity of 45,500 tonnes distributed across two holds, the vessel is designed for projects involving long transit distances between rock loading facilities and offshore worksites, maximising efficiency and reducing the number of loading cycles.
Converted from an existing newbuild under Boskalis’ supervision, Windpiper has a total installed power of more than 31,000kW and is equipped with a moonpool-based fall pipe installation system alongside an inclined fall pipe for the accurate placement of protective rock around subsea infrastructure.
