Van Oord’s Giant Wind Installation Vessel Boreas Reaches Netherlands
March 11, 2025
Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Boreas has arrived in the Netherlands after a voyage from China of almost 14,700 nautical miles for final outfitting and christening 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,” said 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 meters 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 meters, allow the vessel to be jacked up and work in waters up to 70 meters deep. All these features make the vessel ideal for installing offshore wind turbines of up to 20 MW.
The vessel is also 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.
