World’s largest jack-up vessel arrives to begin building world’s largest offshore wind farm

The largest offshore jack-up installation vessel ever built, Voltaire, has just arrived in the UK port of Able Seaton ahead of its first campaign on Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

Voltaire of Jan De Nul Group was delivered in late 2022. Since then she has been undertaking final preparations for her very first assignment, the construction of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm phases A, B and C.

In total, the vessel will be responsible for installing 277 GE Renewable Energy Haliade-X turbines. Voltaire will sail out in early July to begin installation.

Olly Cass, Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director at SSE Renewables, said:

“As offshore wind technology grows in scale and power, the industry needs stronger vessels that are capable of meeting these engineering challenges. With its lifting capacity of more than 3,000 tonnes and ultra-low emissions design, we can’t wait to see this next generation vessel take on the challenge of installing some of the world’s largest and most powerful turbines, as we head towards first power for Dogger Bank A this summer.”

Jan Van Impe, Manager Jan De Nul Offshore Renewables, said:

“Dogger Bank Wind Farm is exactly the type of project we had in mind when we took the decision to build our Voltaire. The scale and characteristics of the offshore Dogger Bank turbines offer the perfect challenge for this next generation state-of-the art jack-up installation vessel. We are excited to continue our contribution to the energy transition together with industry leaders SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn by installing the offshore wind turbines at Dogger Bank A, B and C in the most efficient and clean manner possible.”

Voltaire is the first seaworthy installation vessel to be an Ultra-Low Emission vessel.

Voltaire, named after the pioneering European Enlightenment philosopher, has a lifting capacity of over 3,000 tonnes.

The vessel is fitted with a highly advanced exhaust filtering system by means of a selective catalytic reduction system and a diesel particulate filter, making her the very first seagoing installation vessel of her kind to be an Ultra-Low Emission vessel (ULEv), moreover Stage V-certified.

The 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when completed in 2026. It is being built in three 1.2 GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C.

The project is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn. SSE Renewables is lead operator for the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will be lead operator of the wind farm on completion for its expected operational life of around 35 years.