Boskalis’ new subsea rock installation vessel Windpiper has departed the Port of Rotterdam for its first project in the Baltic Sea.

The vessel will first sail to a quarry in Norway, where 45,500 tonnes of rock will be loaded into its two cargo holds. It will then continue to the Baltic Sea to begin its first subsea rock installation work.

Subsea rock installation is used to protect and stabilise offshore infrastructure on the seabed, including offshore wind assets, cables and pipelines.

The first deployment follows 18 months of work by teams across Boskalis to transform Windpiper into a subsea rock installation vessel.

The vessel’s entry into operation increases Boskalis’ capacity to support offshore energy projects in Europe and worldwide.