Van Oord’s state-of-the-art offshore installation vessel, Boreas, has successfully arrived in the Netherlands after a remarkable journey of nearly 14,700 nautical miles from China. To reach its destination, the Boreas navigated through the world’s largest sea lock in IJmuiden, an impressive feat that showcased the vessel’s advanced capabilities and the expertise of its crew. Outfitting and finishing will take place in the Netherlands, where the vessel will be christened before embarking on its first offshore wind project.
The Boreas is currently docked at TMA Logistics in the Port of Amsterdam, where the vessel will undergo its final completion and commissioning phase. Its decks will simultaneously be outfitted with wind turbine foundation equipment and installation tools in preparation for its first assignment. The christening will take place in Rotterdam in June.
‘Welcoming the Boreas to the Netherlands is a significant milestone for us after 4 years of hard work and dedication. We are excited to deploy this impressive vessel on our projects and to advance the transition towards renewable energy.’— Maurits den Broeder, Managing Director for Offshore Energy at Van Oord
The Boreas is the largest offshore installation vessel of its kind. It measures 175 metres in length and is equipped with a crane capable of lifting over 3,000 tonnes. With a 155-metre-high boom, the Boreas is purpose-built for the transport and installation of next-generation wind turbines and foundations. Four giant legs, each measuring 126 metres, allow the vessel to be jacked up and work in waters up to 70 metres deep. All these features make the vessel ideal for installing offshore wind turbines of up to 20 megawatt.
The Boreas is an example of how Van Oord is implementing the energy transition. The vessel is the first of its kind capable of running on methanol, a fuel that will reduce its footprint by more than 78%. In addition, it is equipped with cutting-edge active emissions control technology (Selective Catalytic Reduction) to reduce NOx emissions to an absolute minimum. A battery pack of about 6,000 kilowatt hours can manage peak loads and regenerate energy to further reduce fuel consumption and the corresponding emissions.
