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Jan De Nul celebrate launch of 'Next-Gen' installation vessel

By: Tom Russell 06/01/2022 Jan De Nul

General Vessels

Jan De Nul announced an important milestone has been reached in the construction of Les Alizés, a 'Next-Gen' floating offshore installation vessel. The offshore installation vessel was launched at the CMHI Haimen shipyard in China. The 236 metre vessel will be the largest heavy lift vessel in Jan De Nul’s fleet, designed able to install XXL offshore wind components in floating conditions and with ultra-low emissions.

The launch started on 2 January by flooding the dry dock in which Les Alizés was built. Once afloat, Les Alizés was moored alongside the adjacent quay wall. Yesterday (5 January 2022), the official launching ceremony took place at the CMHI Haimen shipyard, in the presence of the shipyard management and Jan De Nul Group representatives.

The final phase of the vessel’s construction can now begin, including sea trials. Les Alizés is due for delivery in H2 2022 in time for her first assignment in Germany for the construction of Gode Wind 3 and Borkum Riffgrund 3 Offshore Wind Farms, transporting and installing 107 monopile foundations for the offshore wind major Ørsted.

Philippe Hutse, Director Offshore Division at Jan De Nul Group: “The construction of our offshore floating installation vessel Les Alizés is well on track. We can look forward to delivery later this year, so that we can continue to build the future of offshore renewable energy. Together with our Offshore Jack-Up Installation Vessel Voltaire, which is also under construction in China, we will have the perfect set of offshore installation vessels that will be able to install current and future generations of offshore wind farms. This is how we offer our customers the most efficient installation solutions and results."

The vessel features a Universal Quick Connector (UQC) crane, developed by Huisman, which will be among the largest in its class and capable of lifting 5000 tons. Furthermore, it will be equipped with an electrical gripper, with an integrated guidance and survey system, which Jan De Nul claims will allow safe and efficient installation of next-generation monopiles with pin-point accuracy. The vessel will also be outfitted with a tailor-made monopile handling system which consists of a set of cradles, a skidding system and an upending hinge to handle and install XXL monopiles.

Jan Van De Velde, Head of Newbuilding Department at Jan De Nul Group: “It is our continued philosophy to focus on operational efficiency and improving safety as the main objectives. The Universal Quick Connector, the innovative Motion-Compensated Pile Gripper and the fully automated Monopile Installation System perfectly fit into our strategy of having no manual deck intervention during installation. We stay one step ahead in offering the renewables industry a safe and efficient one-stop-shop installation solution.”

In order to reduce the vessel’s CO2 emissions, the power plant on board is a hybrid setup. The arrangement combines diesel-driven generators with battery and drive technology in an effort to optimise engine loading and to recover the potential energy returned from the heavy lift crane. To further reduce the carbon footprint of installation activities, the ultra-low emission vessel can run on second-generation biodiesel is said to reduce the fuel carbon footprint by up to 90%.

As an ultra-low emission vessel, Les Alizés is equipped with a dual exhaust filter system, designed to remove up to 99% of nanoparticles from emissions using a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and reducing the NOx emissions and other pollutants by means of a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) to levels in accordance with EU Stage V regulation.

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Jan De Nul celebrate launch of 'Next-Gen' installation vessel

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