One meter higher than the Eiffel Tower. That’s how high our brand new offshore jack-up installation vessel Voltaire can reach. And that’s necessary: the vessel is designed to install the offshore wind turbines of the future, with turbines over 270 metres high and blades 120 metres long. Size matters!
The Voltaire is specifically designed to transport, hoist and install offshore wind turbines, transition pieces and foundations.
For these lifting works, the vessel is equipped with a main crane of more than 3,000 tonnes, a giant that has just been installed on board at the shipyard in China.
With a crane house weighing 1800 tonnes, a boom length of 140 metres and weighing 800 tonnes, this is the largest Leg Encircling Crane ever built. The crane will use a Universal Quick Connector (UQC) to pick loads quickly and completely without manual handling, i.e. fully automated. A big step forward in safer working!
The legs enabling the Voltaire to lift itself above the water surface, are also being mounted on board. The first part of the legs were installed just before the launching at the end of January. We are now gradually increasing the height until they reach their full 131.5 metres.
With both feet in the middle of the energy transition
With these unprecedented dimensions and possibilities, the Voltaire is an important asset for the future of the renewable energy sector. That future revolves more and more around a global energy transition and a minimal impact on the climate. That is why Jan De Nul is equipping its new generation vessels with a double exhaust gas filter system that removes up to 99% of nanoparticles from emissions. An Ultra-Low Emission vessel, in other words!
