(With extra pictures) Van Oord’s new DP2 cable-laying vessel Nexus has officially been launched at Damen Shipyards Galati. The 123 m multipurpose vessel will be deployed installing electricity cables for offshore wind farms.
Van Oord has made this investment to offer Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts to offshore wind farm developers.
Nexus
With a beam of 28 m and a dynamic positioning system (DP2), the Nexus will be equipped with a huge cable carousel, able to carry more than 5000 tonnes of cable, and a heavy crane that will enable it to lay heavy export cables. The vessel has accommodation for 90 people.
Damen Offshore Carrier 7500
The new Van Oord cable layer is based on the Damen Offshore Carrier 7500, a new multipurpose vessel design with a spacious, flush working deck, which is ideally suited for Heavy Lift or RoRo transport, as well as offshore installation capabilities. Offshore installation equipment can be mounted on the vessel and the design can be customised to create a dedicated ship, as is the case with the Van Oord cable layer.
Gemini Offshore Wind Farm
Currently, Van Oord is making preparations for the 600 MW Gemini Offshore Wind Farm, which will be one of the largest offshore wind projects in the world. Van Oord was awarded the EPC contract, which is valued at more than € 1.3 billion.
At 55 kilometres to the north of Schiermonnikoog, one of the Dutch Wadden Islands, Gemini will consist of 150 4 MW Siemens wind turbines, which will supply renewable energy to 785,000 households. The new cable-laying vessel will be deployed at this site amongst others.
Below two extra pictures of the launch. Please click the pop-out link (the squares at the bottom right) to view them in their proper dimensions.
