Cadeler buys new jack-up ‘Wind Keeper’

The new vessel, already on the water at the Shanghai Boqiang Heavy Industry Group in China, will have to be upgraded to be capable of installing 15MW turbines, Cadeler says, which is possibly why the company says it bought the vessel ’for a purchase price significantly below the vessel’s estimated replacement cost’.

“While the vessel comes equipped to a high standard, Cadeler will invest in certain upgrades to improve her operational capacity and align her onboard offering with that of Cadeler’s existing fleet,” says the company. “After the contemplated upgrades, the vessel will be capable of supporting new installations in the 15 MW segment. Cadeler is continuing to assess the cost to Cadeler of such upgrades and will communicate its total investment in the vessel in due course.”

The vessel will be equipped with a Huisman 2,200t crane, MAN has supplied the engines, Siemens has provided the propulsion system and Kongsberg’s dynamic positioning system will be implemented to support the jack-up and its 120-metre legs.

“With the installed base of offshore wind turbines growing substantially, there is a greater need than ever before for reliable and flexible O&M support to ensure uptime and maximise energy production,” said Mikkel Gleerup, Cadeler’s chief executive officer.

“We scrutinised every available asset, and the Wind Keeper was the clear standout as the only vessel with the technical capabilities and quality of construction necessary to be adequately future-proofed.

“As an installation-capable, service-oriented asset, the Wind Keeper will be a valuable addition to our fleet. She strongly complements our existing vessel portfolio, immediately permitting operational synergies and allowing us to provide much-needed service support to our clients’ operating offshore assets.”