A new offshore wind turbine installation vessel, Norse Energi, has been delivered by CIMC Raffles to Belgian offshore contractor DEME and will be deployed on Iberdrola’s Windanker project and the Ørsted-operated Hornsea 3 wind farm in the North Sea.
The handover ceremony took place in Yantai on 15 January, with the vessel completed in line with the contractual schedule. CIMC Raffles said the delivery demonstrates China’s ability to supply high-end marine engineering assets to international customers.
Norse Energi is the second vessel in the NG20000X series, forming a pair of sister WTIVs that are presented as the first in the world to adopt an all-DC electrical architecture. The DC grid is tailored to the requirements of different onboard systems, helping to shorten cable runs, lower electrical equipment weight, release more internal space, and improve overall system integration. According to CIMC Raffles, this configuration is intended to reduce construction and operating costs, cut energy use, and lower emissions.
Configured for European offshore wind work, Norse Energi is equipped with DP2 station-keeping, high deck load capacity,y and heavy-lift capability. The vessel can carry and install several turbine configurations in a single campaign while operating in challenging conditions on continental shelf sites in the North Sea.
Compared with typical offshore wind installation vessels, Norse Energi is fitted with a 3,200 t main crane and a hybrid propulsion system supported by large-capacity batteries. In selected operating mode,s the battery installation can replace one main engine entirely, and the yard reports that this arrangement cuts carbon output per installed megawatt by over 70%.
As the sister unit in what the yard calls its most highly automated WTIV series, Norse Energi was delivered ahead of the original schedule under CIMC Raffles’ lean management model. The company said both owner DEME and the classification society highlighted the yard’s technical capability and its experience inthe series construction of installation vessels.
Looking ahead, CIMC said it plans to continue working with partners to develop advanced offshore engineering assets and offshore wind projects that contribute to long-term carbon-neutral targets worldwide.
