Van Oord Christens Boreas — A New Milestone in Offshore Wind Energy
On June 18 in Rotterdam, Van Oord officially christened its new offshore wind installation vessel, Boreas, marking a key moment in the company’s commitment to sustainability and the energy transition. The vessel was christened by Carola Schouten, the Mayor of Rotterdam, in a ceremony attended by guests and Van Oord employees.
Boreas was purpose-built to transport and install next-generation offshore wind turbine foundations and components with capacities exceeding 20 MW. The 175-meter-long vessel features a massive crane with a 155-meter boom, capable of lifting over 3,000 tonnes—enough to handle turbines comparable in height to the Eiffel Tower.
Boreas is the world’s first offshore wind installation vessel equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of running on methanol, reducing carbon emissions by more than 78%. It also features selective catalytic reduction to minimize NOₓ emissions and a battery system exceeding 6,000 kWh, further cutting fuel use and emissions.
Once operational, Boreas will be the largest and most sustainable offshore wind installation vessel in the world. Its first assignment will be the Nordseecluster project in the German North Sea—a joint venture between RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Investment Management (49%). Van Oord’s scope includes installing 104 extended monopiles and providing scour protection. The 1.6 GW wind cluster is expected to supply renewable electricity to 1.6 million German households.
At the christening event, Van Oord also announced that its climate targets have been officially approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), making it the first marine contractor to commit to the 1.5°C pathway outlined in the Paris Agreement.
