Van Oord’s offshore wind installation vessel Boreas has arrived in the Netherlands after a smooth voyage from China of almost 14,700 nautical miles. To reach its destination, the gigantic vessel had to navigate through the world’s largest sea lock in IJmuiden.

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.

Key Features of the Boreas Vessel

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-meter-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. The vessel is therefore capable of installing offshore wind turbines of up to 20MW.

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.