RWE, an energy company headquartered in Germany, has signed an agreement with Jan De Nul Group, a Luxembourg-based provider of maritime services, for the long-term use of two next-generation installation vessels for future offshore wind foundation and turbine construction.
The charters are supported by a service agreement through which Jan De Nul Group will provide both in-house and market solutions and services to support and perform installation campaigns for RWE’s offshore wind projects.
“Through this strategic partnership, RWE has taken a big step in securing the necessary installation vessels and services to deliver our large-scale offshore wind farms Thor and Hollandse Kust West VII, as well as further projects to come,” says Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind.
Les Alizés and Voltaire are the two specialist offshore installation vessels included in the partnership for exclusive long-term charter. Both can be used at RWE’s current and future offshore construction projects and, if needed, to run maintenance campaigns at its existing offshore wind fleet.
Les Alizés has been chartered for more than five years, and is a purpose-built vessel designed for transporting, lifting and installing wind turbine foundations. RWE plans to first deploy this vessel at Thor, its Danish offshore project. Foundation installation for this 1,000 MW wind farm is due to take place in 2025.
Voltaire is the world’s largest jack-up installation vessel, with a crane capacity of roughly 3,500 tons and approximately 142-yard-long legs. Highly suitable for the installation of next-generation wind farms in deep waters, the vessel has been chartered to RWE for more than four years, from 2027 onwards. Subject to the project’s final investment decision, RWE plans to first use this vessel to install the turbines of its Hollandse Kust West VII wind farm off the Dutch coast.
“This multi-year approach creates much-desired planning security for our state-of-the-art installation vessels and will allow safe and efficient installation of a large number of offshore wind farms,” says Philippe Hutse, CEO of Jan De Nul Offshore Energy. “We look forward to the continued cooperation with our highly valued client RWE.”
Photo of Les Alizés, 2023, by Jan De Nul Group.
