Les Alizés starts first assignment in German North Sea

Jan De Nul’s latest heavy-lift vessel, Les Alizés, has begun installation work on the first of 107 monopile foundations for the construction of Ørsted’s Gode Wind 3 and Borkum Riffgrund 3 wind farms in German waters.

The vessel, built at the China Merchants Heavy Industry Haimen shipyard, had arrived at the Dutch port of Eemshaven at the end of June after its maiden voyage from Asia. The first of the wind turbine monopile foundations were then loaded. The new vessel will also install one offshore substation foundation.  

The crane vessel will also ship the associated topsides for the 253-MW Gode Wind 3 farm and 913-MW Borkum Riffgrund 3 facilities. Both wind farms will use 11-MW Siemens Gamesa turbines. Once completed, they will produce enough electricity for about 1.2 million homes in Germany.

Commenting on the project, Ørsted’s managing director in Germany, Jörg Kubitza, said: “With the installation of the foundations for our two new projects this year, we are laying the groundwork for additional, large-scale renewable energy at sea. And thus further establish offshore wind power as a pillar of the energy transition. I am pleased that we have now reached the next milestone. In addition to the required capacities that will have to be installed in the coming decades, our projects also exemplify how offshore wind power can be built out in a value-creating and competitive manner in Germany – if the right framework conditions are in place.”

Peter De Pooter, manager Offshore Renewables at Jan De Nul Group, commented on the new ship’s deployment and that of the recently delivered Voltaire, one of the largest jack-up installation vessels which is now working on the UK’s Dogger Bank wind farm.

“This contract is an important milestone for us, as it is the maiden project for our new next-gen heavy lift vessel, Les Alizés,” De Pooter said. “We are looking forward to install and complete both wind farms in close collaboration with our client, Ørsted. Together with Voltaire’s first mission and other projects, we are proud to contribute to construct the global transition to renewable energy by installing these offshore wind turbines in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way possible.”