VESSEL REVIEW | Wind Peak – Cadeler's new installation jackup with 2,500-tonne crane capacity

Danish offshore installation and marine construction company 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.

Built for extensive use under demanding conditions

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 some of 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 an LOA of 162 metres (531 feet), a beam of 60 metres (200 feet), a draught of 9.7 metres (32 feet), a total deck space of 5,600 square metres (60,000 square feet), a payload capacity of over 17,600 tonnes, and a Huisman main crane capable of lifting more than 2,500 tonnes at 53 metres (170 feet). Huisman also supplied the WTIV with a smaller pedestal-mounted crane with a lifting capacity of 40 tonnes.

Additionally, each vessel can accommodate up to 130 crewmembers and installation technicians. The propulsion setup of four MAN generators with a total installed power of 21,600 kW (29,000 hp) driving four Kongsberg Maritime 4,400kW azimuthing thrusters can deliver a service speed of 11 knots.

Enhanced manoeuvring and positioning capability

There are also two retractable thrusters and three Kongsberg Maritime tunnel thrusters to provide additional lateral manoeuvrability. The thrusters work in conjunction with a DP2 system to ensure precise positioning before and during turbine installation.

Four sets of triangular truss type legs each measuring 119 metres (390 feet) long are driven by a floating opposed rack and pinion jacking system. A flight deck with a diameter of 22.8 metres (74.8 feet) can accommodate a 15-tonne utility helicopter.

The WTIVs are the result of close cooperation between Cadeler, COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry, Dutch naval architecture firm 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.

The WTIVs were designed in compliance with DNV class rules.