Van Oord officially christened its new offshore wind installation vessel, Boreas, in Rotterdam on 18 June 2025, according to the company's release.
Boreas is the largest and most sustainable offshore wind installation vessel globally.
It is equipped to transport and install next-generation foundations and turbines for offshore wind farms.
The vessel measures 175 metres in length and has a crane boom height of 155 metres, capable of lifting over 3,000 tonnes.
It can install offshore wind turbines exceeding 20 MW with heights comparable to the Eiffel Tower.
Boreas operates on dual fuel-methanol engines, reducing its carbon footprint by over 78%.
It also features Selective Catalytic Reduction technology to lower nitrogen oxide emissions and includes a battery pack exceeding 6,000 kilowatt-hours to reduce fuel consumption further.
Following the christening, Boreas will undertake its first project at the Nordseecluster offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.
This project is a joint venture between RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Management Investment (49%).
Van Oord’s scope involves installing 104 extended monopiles and scour protection.
The 1.6 GW wind farm cluster is expected to supply renewable energy equivalent to the needs of 1,600,000 German households.
Van Oord also announced it became the first marine contractor to have its climate targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The approval aligns the company’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals with the 1.5°C pathway of the Paris Agreement.
Van Oord is a Dutch marine contractor specializing in dredging, offshore infrastructure, and marine engineering projects. The company focuses on sustainable solutions in the energy transition, including offshore wind installation and marine construction.
RWE is a German multinational energy company engaged in renewable energy generation, conventional power generation, and energy trading.
Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) manages the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, often referred to as the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund.