Jan De Nul, Smulders, Acteon and Deep Wind advance key offshore wind projects across Europe
From vessel fleet expansions and advanced cable-laying technologies to multi-billion-euro substation contracts and real-time turbine monitoring systems, recent announcements reflect a surge in infrastructure investment and engineering innovation. This roundup highlights major developments from Jan De Nul, Smulders, Acteon/UTEC and Deep Wind Offshore, spanning projects in Sweden, Norway, France and Poland—collectively supporting more than 4 GW of new offshore wind capacity.
Jan De Nul expanding offshore wind rockdump vessel fleet
Jan De Nul has ordered a newbuild rock installation vessel for subsea power cables for offshore wind developments.
The in-house-designed George W. Goethals, with a capacity of up to 37,000 metric tons, will feature a flexible vertical fall pipe and an inclined fall pipe system, allowing it to place larger rocks in water depths of up to 400 m.
In addition, the company has two new cable-laying vessels on order, the Fleeming Jenkin and the William Thomson, each with a cable-carrying capacity of 28,000 metric tons.
They will be capable of installing cables over longer distances with fewer subsea connections, the company claims, making them suitable for interconnector cables designed to link power grids.
Both will have dual exhaust filter equipment that will remove up to 99% of nanoparticles from emissions by means of a diesel particulate filter and a reduction system for nitrogen oxides (NOx) that should ensure compliance with more rigorous EURO VI emission limits.
The engines will be able to run on biofuel and green methanol, and the onboard hybrid power plant should further lessen CO2 emissions while optimizing fuel usage. The hybrid arrangement combines the generators with a battery and drive technology, allowing peak shaving, load smoothening, spinning reserve and better engine loading, the company added.
Four onboard electric excavators will be deployed for loading large size rocks, without the need for a dedicated conveyor belt or crane onshore.
Smulders tasked with building substations for three wind farms
French transmission system operator RTE has awarded Eiffage Métal’s subsidiary Smulder an engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) contract for three offshore wind developments in France.
The EPCIC contract, valued at more than €1.5 billion (US$1.7 billion), is for three new 750-MW alternating current substations that will be connected to the Bretagne Sud (AO5), Narbonnaise Sud-Hérault and Golfe de Fos (AO6) offshore wind farms, and their future extensions (A09).
Smulders’ responsibilities cover construction of the jacket foundations and the topside structures, housing the electrical equipment.
The jackets for Bretagne Sud will be 115 m tall, 25 m wide and 35 m long for the Bretagne Sud project, while the jackets for the Narbonnaise Sud-Hérault and Fos projects will measure about 110 x 45 x 50 m.
All three topsides structures will weigh about 5,000 metric tons and will be more than 20 m in height, 35 m wide and 70 m in length.
The jackets will be assembled at Eiffage Métal’s yard in Fos-sur-Mer, southern France and the topsides in Vlissingen, the Netherlands.
Acteon/UTEC providing turbine monitoring services for Baltica 2
UTEC will perform structural monitoring for the Baltica 2 wind farm in the Polish sector of the Baltic Sea, which is being developed jointly by Ørsted and PGE.
Ørsted asked UTEC’s parent company Acteon to design, engineer, procure, install and commission the measurement and associated data acquisition systems for the development, which will feature 107 turbines with a combined power generating capacity of 1.5 GW of power.
It is due to be completed by the end of 2027.
There will be campaigns to measure various types of data related to the structural integrity of the Baltica wind turbines, spanning environmental and metocean data, settlement, load and acceleration, corrosion, and anode efficiency.
Results will be integrated in real time using Acteon’s NX2 digital platform. The company will manage the systems integration and software development at its Technology Centre in Wokingham, west of London, with installation taking place at construction yards in Poland and other European locations.
Deep Wind advances offshore wind ambitions in Sweden and Norway
In Sweden, the County Administrative Board of Uppsala has recommended that the Swedish government issue a permit for Deep Wind Offshore’s planned offshore wind farm Olof Skötkonung in the Gulf of Gävle in the Bothnian Sea.
The proposal will now undergo a review by the government for final approval. The development has a planned capacity of up to 1.4 GW and annual production of about 5.5 TWh.
Deep Wind Offshore is evaluating a potential connection to both the transmission grid in the SE3 bidding zone and the regional grid.
Subject to approval, construction could start in 2027.
Late last month, Deep Wind Offshore submitted an application with EDF Power Solutions for the Utsira Nord 500-MW floating offshore wind farm development, which would be built close to Haugesund. It could also become the first large-scale floating project on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, the company added.
About the Author
Jeremy Beckman
Editor, Europe
Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.