Another New Order from Van Oord secured! CIMC Raffles to Build a New Generation Methanol Multi-Fuel Subsea Rock Installation Vessel

Recently, CIMC Raffles and Van Oord, the Dutch marine contractor, held a signing ceremony to officially conclude an EPC contract for the construction of 1+1 methanol dual-fuel Subsea Rock Installation (SRI) Vessel. Following the successful delivery of the world’s largest and most advanced wind turbine installation vessel “BOREAS” earlier this year, the two parties are once again joining hands to lead the development of marine engineering equipment towards the green, intelligent, and efficient direction.

It is understood that the newly signed new-generation SRI Vessel will be classed by Bureau Veritas (BV). It sets a new benchmark in design, performance, and environmental sustainability in the industry. With a length of 199 meters and a beam of 32.2 meters, the vessel features DP2 dynamic positioning capability. It is designed to carry up to 35,000 tons of rock for subsea installation. In addition, the vessel has a fully electric-propulsion and powered by three Wärtsilä methanol dual-fuel generators, along with a 3,480kW large-capacity battery energy storage system. The total power station capacity exceeds 17MW. This hybrid system significantly reduces carbon emissions and improves load regulation and energy efficiency. The vessel is equipped with six high-performance thrusters, greatly enhancing maneuverability, redundancy, and station-keeping performance in complex offshore conditions.

Van Oord is a Dutch family-owned company with more than 155 years of history. As an international marine contractor, it specializes in dredging, infrastructure development, offshore wind installation, and oil & gas infrastructure construction, and is known for its pioneering marine engineering technologies. CIMC Raffles is a leading marine engineering equipment provider in China, with competitive advantages in high-end offshore equipment, such as oil & gas drilling platforms, FPSO/FLNG production units, RoRo vessels, offshore wind installation vessels, and green hydrogen solutions. This renewed alliance between CIMC Raffles and Van Oord will drive forward the green, smart, and efficient evolution of marine engineering equipment. At the signing ceremony, Mr. Harold Linssen, Director of Van Oord Ship Management Department, said “We are very pleased to once again join forces with our trusted partner CIMC Raffles on this important project for Van Oord. This new chapter in our long-standing collaboration marks the construction of state-of-the-art Subsea Rock Installation (SRI) vessels, designed to meet the growing demand for offshore energy infrastructure protection. This will further strengthen Van Oord’s leading position in the SRI market segment.” Mr. Li Minggao, Vice President of CIMC Raffles Group, added: “Teaming up again with Van Oord is a New Testament to our customer-centric philosophy. CIMC Raffles will dedicate top resources and our best teams, upholding the highest standards of quality and efficiency to deliver a high-performance, environmentally friendly subsea rock installation vessel that will withstand the test of time.”