Cadeler has won a contract from Ørsted for installing turbine foundations at the 2.85GW Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm located in the UK North Sea.
The Danish construction engineering company said that the offshore installation for Hornsea 3 is anticipated to begin in 2026.
Cadeler plans to use its F-class vessel for executing the contract. Currently, the vessel is being constructed specifically to carry out the transportation and installation of foundations.
In May 2022, the Danish firm awarded a contract worth $345m to COSCO Heavy Industries to build the F-class vessel, which will be the fifth in the former’s fleet.
According to Cadeler, the contract with Ørsted contains an additional mutual commitment for developing the vessel hire agreement into a transportation and installation (T&I) contract for the entire foundation scope, thereby increasing its involvement in the project.
The agreement is conditional on a positive final investment decision (FID) taken by Ørsted on the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm. Ørsted has plans to take FID as soon as by the end of this year.
Cadeler CEO Mikkel Gleerup said: “We have proved time and again that we possess the know-how and the equipment needed to be successful in this specialised realm, which requires a high level of expertise.
“It is therefore a great opportunity for us to continue executing projects in the North Sea, but this time focusing on foundation installations in a wider offering, while building further on the strong partnership we already have with Ørsted.”
The Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm will be located nearly 121km off the Norfolk coast, and 160km off the coast of Yorkshire. Upon being fully operational, which is expected to be in 2027, the project will be able to meet the average daily power requirements of over three million homes in the UK.
Last month, the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm was awarded a contract for difference from the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
