Van Oord to power offshore installation vessel Boreas with five Wartsila's methanol engines
Five methanol engines are ready to power Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Boreas, according to the company's release. The Wärtsilä 32 Methanol engines have successfully passed their Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and have been handed over to the Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard (YCRO) in China. They are now on their way to the shipyard where the mega vessel is currently being built. The Boreas will be able to transport and install the next generation of 20 MW offshore wind turbines and is expected to be commercially available in 2025.
Van Oord is committed to reducing carbon emissions and to becoming carbon-neutral by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. Approximately 95% of Van Oord’s carbon footprint is linked to its fleet. Most progress can therefore be made by investing in decarbonisation of its vessels, as well as in green vessels and alternative fuels. The Boreas is an example of the energy transition within Van Oord. The vessel is the first of its kind to run on the future fuel methanol. Running on methanol reduced the ship’s carbon footprint by more than 78%.
The Boreas, being able to install the next generation of 20 MW offshore wind turbines, is purpose-built for the transport and installation of foundations and turbines at offshore wind farms. With a top-class crane it can lift more than 3,000 tonnes. The Boreas has an advanced jacking system, allowing the vessel to work in waters up to 70 metres deep. The vessel will be equipped with a cutting-edge active emissions control technology (Selective Catalytic Reduction) to reduce the NOx emission to an absolute minimum. A 5,000 kWh battery pack can take peak loads and regenerate energy to reduce the fuel consumption (and corresponding emissions) even further.
