Van Oord’s hybrid cable layer debuts at RWE’s 1.4 GW offshore wind farm

Van Oord’s new, next-generation cable-laying vessel (CLV) Calypso has begun installing cables at its first offshore wind project, marking its official debut.

Calypso’s first project is RWE’s Sofia offshore wind farm, being constructed on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, 195 kilometers from the North East coast of the UK, which, with a capacity of 1.4 GW, is expected to supply power to 1.2 million UK households.

As part of a contract signed in 2021, Van Oord is responsible for the design, engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of the monopile foundations and inter-array cables for the wind farm, with Calypso installing a total of approximately 360 kilometers of inter-array cables.

Offshore wind installation vessel Aeolus and special service support vessel (SSSV) Baltic Explorer are also working on Sofia. The wind farm is expected to be fully operational in 2026.

The inter-array cable was transported from Greece to the UK’s Port of Blyth.

“With the Calypso now operational, we have significantly strengthened our cable installation fleet. This milestone reflects our commitment to continuously reinforcing our leading position in the market by investing in sustainable technology,” said Arnoud Kuis, Managing Director Offshore Energy at Van Oord.

“With two cable installation vessels at our disposal, along with our extensive experience and expertise, we have the resources and flexibility needed to provide value to our clients and excel in this dynamic industry. It’s exciting to see the Calypso in action, installing its first cables on the Sofia project, and we look forward to its successful deployment on many more offshore wind projects.”

Calypso is Van Oord’s second CLV, in addition to Nexus. The hybrid CLV has future-ready engines with built-in flexibility to anticipate e-fuels aside from the ability to run on biofuel. In addition, it has a large battery pack, a shore supply connection, and an energy management system.

The CLV is equipped with two cable carousels, one on deck and another below deck, providing a total cable-carrying capacity of 8,000 tonnes and capable of laying two HVDC cables simultaneously.

The Dutch company took delivery of the vessel from shipbuilder VARD on August 29, 2023, with christening taking place some ten days later in Rotterdam.