Image courtesy Cadeler A/S
Cadeler A/S, a leading specialist in offshore wind vessels, has confirmed the order for its third cutting-edge A-class wind farm installation vessel, the Wind Apex.
This addition will mark the eleventh vessel in Cadeler’s fleet and bolsters its position to meet the surge in market demand, driven by the rapid growth of the offshore wind industry and the increasing size and capacity of wind turbines.
Cadeler’s A-class vessels are renowned for their hybrid design, offering clients the unique ability to switch between a foundation installation unit and a wind turbine generator installation vessel swiftly.
Cadeler’s fleet consists of eleven jack-up offshore wind installation vessels, including two P-class, two M-class, and two A-class vessels under construction. The third A-class vessel, scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2027, will be built by COSCO Heavy Industries in Qidong, China, adhering to design standards that allow it to sail under the Danish flag.
Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Cadeler, highlighted the company’s position to provide partners with a wider and more flexible fleet of next-generation offshore wind farm installation vessels. “The decision to build a third A-class vessel is based on the strong market demand for assets specializing in installing foundations,” Gleerup said.
He also revealed that Cadeler secured a competitive price for the third A-class vessel due to its strong collaboration with COSCO Heavy Industries and efficiencies from building several similarly designed jack-ups.
“We have already signed firm contracts and entered a long-term agreement with Orsted for our first A-class vessel from 2027 to 2030 and we are in advanced contract negotiations to secure capacity from our second A-class,” said Gleerup.
The A-class vessel, featuring a deck space of 5,600m2, a payload over 17,000 tons, and a main crane capacity to be announced later, can transport and install seven complete 15MW turbine sets per load or six sets of 2XL monopile foundations. This significantly reduces the number of transits for each project. Like the P-class vessels, the A-class will accommodate some of the largest dimensions of wind turbine components in the offshore wind industry.
This construction is a collaborative effort with Cadeler’s strategic partners, which include GustoMSC NOV, Kongsberg, Huismann, and MAN Energy.
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