Van Oord Christens World's Largest and Most Sustainable Offshore Wind Installation Vessel

Van Oord's new offshore wind installation vessel Boreas was officially christened on June 18 in Rotterdam. The event marked a milestone in Van Oord’s commitment to enhancing the energy transition. In addition, Van Oord announced that it had become the first marine contractor to receive approval on science-based targets for its decarbonization approach. 

The Boreas was christened by Ms. Carola Schouten, the mayor of Rotterdam. Guests and Van Oord employees gathered to celebrate this moment. Once it is operational, the Boreas will be the largest and most sustainable offshore wind installation vessel in the world. 

The Boreas, named after the Greek god of the Northern winds, is purpose-built for the transport and installation of next-generation foundations and turbines for offshore wind farms. The vessel measures 175 meters in length and its crane has a 155-meter-high boom, able to lift over 3,000 tons. With this new vessel, Oord is ready for future increases in scale in the offshore wind industry. It can install offshore wind turbines of more than 20 MW, with a height comparable to the Eiffel Tower.

The Boreas is the first vessel of its kind equipped with dual fuel-methanol engines. Operating on methanol reduces its carbon footprint by over 78%. Additionally, the vessel features Selective Catalytic Reduction to minimize nitrogen oxide emissions, and a battery pack of more than 6,000 kilowatt-hours, which helps further reduce fuel consumption and emissions.  

After the christening ceremony the Boreas will head to its first offshore wind project, the Nordseecluster in the German North Sea, a joint venture between RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Management Investment (49%). Van Oord’s scope includes the installation of 104 extended monopiles as well as scour protection. The 1.6 gigawatt wind-farm cluster is expected to generate enough renewable energy to supply the equivalent of 1,600,000 German households.

During the launch of the Boreas in Rotterdam, Van Oord also announced that its climate goals have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), making it the first marine contractor to align with the 1.5 degrees Celsius pathway of the Paris Agreement.