Van Oord’s new subsea rock installation vessels, recently ordered from the Chinese shipyard Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore, have been designed by Norway’s Ulstein.
Working in close collaboration with Van Oord’s technical team, Ulstein said it supported the selection of the optimal vessel size and configuration, with focus on balancing technical parameters to meet functional requirements.
This resulted in an extended basic design package, approved by Bureau Veritas.
According to the company, the design was developed with future-proof capabilities in mind, enabling more efficient and environmentally responsible subsea operations.
“We are honoured to have been selected by Van Oord for this important development,” said Dolf Manschot , Project Manager at Ulstein. “Our teams have worked seamlessly together to shape a design that not only meets stringent technical requirements but also advances the transition to a more sustainable maritime future. We look forward to seeing the design brought to life at Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore.”
The vessels will be equipped with a loading capacity of 35,000 tons, will be capable of handling large rock sizes, and will feature a DP2 dynamic positioning system. They will include multi-fuel engines, for biofuel and methanol, a DC-grid with large battery storage capacity, and an energy-efficient hull design and rock handling system.
The first vessel is expected to enter the market in 2028, with the second to follow within one year.