Cadeler has taken delivery of the first unit in a new series of jackup wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs) ordered by the company from Chinese shipbuilder COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry.
Wind Peak and its sister vessel Wind Pace, which is currently under construction, are engineered to operate at some of the most challenging offshore installation sites worldwide. Enhanced loading and installation capacity and advanced onboard technologies will enable the vessels to install the largest wind turbines currently being deployed.
With the ability to transport and install seven complete 15MW turbine sets or five sets of 20MW+ turbines per load, the transit capacity reduces the energy intensity of installation and installation time. Cadeler said this ultimately lowers the total cost and carbon footprint of installation per turbine.
As the largest vessels in the Cadeler fleet, Wind Peak and Wind Pace each boast a deck space of 5,600 square metres, a payload capacity of over 17,600 tonnes, and a main crane capable of lifting more than 2,500 tonnes at 53 metres. Additionally, each vessel can accommodate up to 130 crewmembers and installation technicians.
The WTIVs are the result of close cooperation between Cadeler, COSCO, GustoMSC, Kongsberg, Huisman, and MAN Energy. Sister ship Wind Pace is scheduled for delivery by the COSCO shipyard to Cadeler in the second quarter of 2025. Both ships will be registered in Denmark.