Cadeler orders third A-class WIV
With the continuing expansion of the industry’s largest fleet of jack-up offshore wind installation vessels, Cadeler says it is ready to meet growing market demand (Source: Cadeler)
Copenhagen based Cadeler AS has ordered a third A-class wind farm installation vessel at Cosco Heavy Industries in Qidong, China. The A-class vessels are of hybrid design, capable of converting from foundation installation units to wind turbine installation vessels within a short period of time. The Wind Apex, which will fly the Danish flag, is due for delivery in the first half of 2027.
The latest order will take the Cadeler jack-up fleet of wind installation vessels to eleven units which, the company said, is the industry’s largest. It now has six units under construction – two P-class, two M-class, and two A-class vessels.
The A-class vessels have a deck area of 5,600m2 and a payload of 17,000 tonnes. Capacity of the main crane to be installed on board the latest unit has not yet been revealed. Cadeler said that both its P- and A-class vessels are ‘unrivalled’ within the sector, capable of transporting and installing seven complete 15-MW turbine sets per load or six sets of 2XL monopile foundations. This reduces the number of transits per project, the company noted.
Cadeler claims to have achieved ‘a very competitive price’ of about USD 400 million for the third unit. This, it said, was partly down to the strong collaboration built with Cosco Heavy Industries, but also through synergies from building several similar jack-ups there, and the fact that a Letter of Intent for the vessel was signed in 2022 when prices were lower.
Cadeler CEO, Mikkel Gleerup, commented: “Cadeler owns the largest jack-up fleet in the industry and is well positioned to provide our partners with access to an even wider and more flexible fleet of next-generation offshore wind farm installation vessels. The decision to build a third A-class vessel is based on the strong market demand for assets specialising in installing foundations.
“We have already signed firm contracts and entered a long-term agreement with Ørsted for our first A-class vessel from 2027 to 2030,” he continues, “and we are in advanced contract negotiations to secure capacity from our second A-class. These commitments are only possible because our partners believe in our capabilities to meet their demands for increased flexibility and state-of-the-art vessels that are fit to meet the requirements of a fast-growing and dynamic market.”
