Within a space of twenty days, Jan De Nul Group has splashed another vessel at the COSCO Shipping Shipyard in Nantong, China. Following the launch of Les Alizés, Jan De Nul’s next-gen offshore jack-up installation vessel Voltaire has also hit the water. 

Voltaire will be the second and largest jack-up vessel in Jan De Nul’s fleet, and able to support the renewable energy industry to build next generation offshore wind farms. In common with Les Alizés, the Voltaire is due for delivery in the second quarter of 2022.

Designed in-house, Voltaire is built to transport, lift and install offshore wind turbines, transition pieces and foundations. It features a main crane with a capacity of over 3,000 tonnes fit for current and future generation of wind farms. However, besides the offshore renewables sector it will be able to service the oil and gas industry to decommission offshore structures. It is fitted with an advanced jack-up system, four 130-metre legs enabling it to work at 80 metres of water depth, with a load of 16,000 tonnes.

Jan De Nul scaling-up to serve growing market demands

With the increasing demand for decarbonisation and lower-cost green electricity, offshore wind turbine and foundation components continue to rapidly increase in size to a point where their dimensions have largely outgrown the current market installation capability.

Jan De Nul Group has placed an order in 2019 for the Voltaire, the world’s tallest and highly advanced jack-up installation vessel, and Les Alizés, an equally revolutionary floating installation vessel.

With lifting capacities of over 3,000 tonnes and 5,000 tonnes respectively, along with Jan De Nul’s existing subsea cable laying trio, these vessels will have the capability to install the complete requirements of next generation offshore wind.

Following delivery, Voltaire will mobilise to the United Kingdom for the construction of the 3.6 GW Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, transporting and installing in total 277 GE Haliade-X turbines up to 14MW.