On Tuesday 15 September 2015, dredging and maritime management company Jan de Nul Group signed the acquisition of the offshore facility vessel Vidar, which previously worked for the German company Hochtief.

The facility vessel Vidar, which is less than two years old, was specially built for installing offshore wind farms at sea and is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

"Now that this ship is part of our fleet, we are significantly expanding our range of specialised services for offshore wind farm installation," commented Peter de Poote, Manager Offshore Renewable with Jan de Nul Group.

The large bridge area, high load capacity and crane with a lifting capacity of 1,200 tonnes allows the vessel to quickly install the foundations and heaviest components of offshore wind farms. The vessel stretched 140 metres long and is fitted with four 'feet' to raise it above the water, and in doing so allow it to work in stable conditions unaffected by waves.

Jan de Nul Group commented that the acquisition reflects the company's increasing number of projects from offshore clients, who now prefer to see major operation coordinated from design to installation by a single contractor. Investment in a system such as the Vidar ship was therefore cited by Jan de Nul Group as a logical extention of the company's portfolio.

The ship was built for the performance of offshore wind projects, but is perfectly usable for other offshore sectors such as oil and gas industries. Furthermore, Vidar vessel may be used for the dismantling of offshore installations, which have a relatively short lifespan due to being subjected to sea conditions.

Jan de Nul Group also reported ownership of three multi-purpose vessels specialised for offshore construction. One of these is a cable laying vessel, which was launched in March 2015 and is due to be initiated in a first project by the end of the year.  The construction of two multipurpose ships, which will also be implemented for installation of rock and cables on the seabed, is currently underway.

 

Photo by Jan de Nul Group