CSL OWL Launches First Subsea Rock Installation Vessel (Video)
September 23, 2026
CSL OWL has launched the first of two purpose-built subsea rock installation vessels designed for offshore wind construction and maintenance projects.
The vessel, named Rock Star, is the first in CSL OWL's two-ship newbuilding program and is designed to carry up to 17,500 tonnes of rock and install material at rates of up to 2,000 tonnes per hour in water depths of up to 100 metres.
Measuring 166.8 meters long and 40 meters wide, the vessel has a deadweight of about 21,000 tonnes and will operate under the Netherlands flag with Bureau Veritas classification.
“The launch of the first of CSL OWL’s two new subsea rock installation vessels brings us one step closer to delivering a new level of capability to the offshore renewable energy sector,” the company said on social media.
It is equipped with DP2 dynamic positioning and a positioning suite comprising Differential Global Positioning System, High Precision Acoustic Positioning and laser-based sensors for precise rock placement.
The vessel's dual-fuel engines can operate on marine gas oil or methanol. It has a maximum sailing speed of 12 knots and an economical speed of 10 knots.
Accommodation is provided for 45 people, with capacity temporarily expandable to 60 through temporary living quarters.
Construction began with a steel-cutting ceremony on September 12, 2025. The vessel is the first of two purpose-built SRI newbuilds being developed by CSL OWL for subsea rock installation work in the offshore wind sector.
Rotterdam-based CSL OWL is an independent marine contractor specializing in subsea rock installation and is backed by Canada-based The CSL Group and Dutch Offshore Wind Logistics.
