Van Oord Unveils Boreas: The World’s Largest Methanol-Powered Offshore Installation Vessel
Van Oord has officially received its innovative offshore installation vessel, Boreas, during a ceremony at the Yantai CIMC Raffles shipyard in China. This methanol-powered vessel marks a significant advancement in offshore wind installation capabilities and environmental sustainability.
Named after the Greek god of Northern winds, the Boreas is the largest offshore wind turbine installation vessel in the world, measuring 175 meters in length and featuring a 155-meter-high boom capable of lifting over 3 000 tonnes. Its four 126-meter legs enable it to operate in waters up to 70 meters deep, facilitating the installation of powerful 20 MW offshore wind turbines.

Source: Van Oord
A notable environmental achievement of the Boreas is its use of methanol as a fuel source, which results in a remarkable 78 % reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional vessels.
Harold Linssen, Director of the Ship Management Department at Van Oord, stated:
“The delivery of the Boreas marks a major milestone for Van Oord. We are looking forward to welcoming this beautiful vessel to our fleet!”
Before commencing commercial operations, anticipated in the third quarter of 2025, the vessel will undergo final outfitting in the Netherlands, including the installation of specialized equipment for handling wind turbine foundations.
The Boreas has already secured its first assignment: the Nordseecluster offshore wind project in Germany, which has a capacity of 1,6 GW and will supply clean energy to approximately 1,6 million German households. The project involves the installation of 104 extended monopiles, with 44 planned for 2025 and the remaining 60 scheduled for 2027.
Mr. Zhao Hui, Vice President of CIMC Raffles Group, remarked, “Boreas is a benchmark for the whole offshore wind industry for many years to come and will play a significant role in the transportation and installation of the next generation of foundations and up to 20 MW offshore wind turbines at sea.”