Royal Boskalis will add a groundbreaking subsea rock installation (SRI) vessel with a cargo capacity of 45,500 metric tonnes to its fleet. To create what will be the largest SRI vessel in the industry, Boskalis will have an existing vessel converted.
The new vessel is to significantly bolster Boskalis’ position in this specialised niche market. The company currently has three existing SRI vessels. With the introduction of the Windpiper, Boskalis will effectively double its capacity and thereby becomes the largest player in the industry.
Scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2026, the Windpiper is set to play an important role in facilitating the energy transition working on offshore wind projects. Its first projects are expected to be located in Northwest Europe. Boskalis has not revealed which vessel they have acquired nor which yard will perform the conversion. The company will supervise the conversion.
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Vessel conversion
The innovative Windpiper is being developed by converting an existing new vessel under the expert supervision of Boskalis. With impressive dimensions of 227 metres in length and 40 metres in breadth, the powerful vessel boasts a total installed power exceeding 31,000 kW.
In addition to its moonpool for the fall pipe installation, the vessel will feature an inclined fall pipe, crucial for the protection of offshore structures such as the foundations of offshore wind turbines. Equipped with seven thrusters and DP2 certification, the Windpiper is specifically designed for optimal performance in challenging offshore conditions.
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Fewer round trips
The vessel’s substantial capacity, divided over two holds, makes it well-suited for projects with a long transit distance between the rock loading facilities and the project site, such as those along the North American East Coast, the Baltic Sea and the Southern North Sea.
This large capacity minimises the number of round trips required, ultimately leading to less emissions and lower costs per installed volume of rock. Additionally, with over 100 single-occupancy cabins, the vessel can comfortably accommodate client representatives alongside the onboard crew.
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Previous conversions
Boskalis has experience in converting existing vessels to serve additional and/or new purposes. For example, in 2023, Boskalis acquired a pipe-laying vessel and subsequently converted it into a broadly deployable cable-laying vessel, the Boka Ocean. In 2022, Drydocks World completed the conversion of former drill ship Yan into the crane vessel Bokalift 2. In 2017, Boskalis’ heavy transport vessel (HTV) Finesse was converted into transport and installation crane vessel (HLV) Bokalift 1.
Boskalis sees the conversion of ships as a sustainable approach that not only extends the useful life of existing hulls, but also offers significant advantages regarding the vessels’ time to market.
The cutting-edge design and capabilities of the Windpiper will enable Boskalis to meet the increasing demands of its clients while upholding the highest standards of safety and environmental stewardship.
Picture by Boskalis.
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