Ulstein develops 8000t foundation installation vessel

The significant shortage of foundation installation vessels as projected by market analysts and brokers, calls for immediate action. To provide for tomorrow’s needs in offshore wind and building on decades of proven track record in heavy lift vessel design, Ulstein has expanded its portfolio with the ULSTEIN HX122 design. The design features an ULSTEIN X-BOW and an ultra-high-capacity crane, enabling operators and contractors to efficiently transport and install monopiles or jacket foundations up to 5000 ton.

New foundation installation tonnage is quickly needed, but as stated by Clarksons Platou Securities at the 2022 Offshore Wind Journal Conference, this part of the market is “the most under-ordered segment in offshore wind”.

Meeting the need for next-generation foundations
“We identified and addressed that issue already some years ago”, says Nick Wessels, Marketing & Sales Manager at Ulstein Design & Solutions BV. “Based on extensive market studies we developed what we believe is the most efficient solution for the industry; the ULSTEIN HX118 design”.

Main dimensions of the ULSTEIN HX122:

• Loa 230.0 m
• Beam 61.6 m
• Crane capacity 8,000 mt
• Deck area 10,000 m2
• Deck strength 15 – 30 t/m2
• Draught 7.5 – 11.0 m
• Complement 180 persons

“However, the quick developments in this industry create uncertainty with wind farm developers, where we see for some future projects the preference to install even larger foundations up to 5,000 ton. Hence the need for a larger capacity vessel,” states Wessels

“Significant R&D effort has been put into the development of our heavy lift vessel portfolio, working closely with industry partners on mission equipment integration, operability performance and lowering CO2 emissions, creating safer and more efficient installation vessels using proven technologies,” comments Ko Stroo, Product Manager at Ulstein Design & Solutions BV. “The ULSTEIN HX122 is our latest and largest heavy lift vessel design, allowing contractors to keep pace with the rapid growth of wind turbine foundations.”