Dutch owner Boskalis has revealed it is planning to operate the world’s largest subsea rock installation ship (SRI).
The “groundbreaking” vessel will have a cargo capacity of 45,500 tonnes and will be created through the conversion of an existing ship.
“This state-of-the-art vessel will stand as the largest SRI vessel in the industry, significantly bolstering Boskalis’ position in this specialised niche market, which currently includes three existing SRI vessels,” the company said.
The new ship, to be called the Windpiper, will in effect double Boskalis’ capacity, making it the biggest player in the sector.
Delivery will be in the first quarter of 2026.
The owner added: “The Windpiper is set to play an important role in facilitating the energy transition working on offshore wind projects.
“Her first projects are expected to be located in northwest Europe.”
Boskalis gave no details of the existing ship but said it is a new unit measuring 227 metres by 40 metres, suggesting a newbuilding.
It is not clear if Boskalis has this vessel on order, or if it is buying a resale.
The only newbuilding listed under the Boskalis name by Clarksons is a dredger of 21,000 gt being built at IHC O&M Krimpen in the Netherlands for handover in 2026.
Boskalis told TradeWinds it could not reveal further details for commercial reasons.
No cost for the project has been disclosed.
In addition to its moonpool for fall pipe installation, the vessel will feature an inclined fall pipe, crucial for the protection of offshore structures such as offshore wind turbine foundations.
Two holds will carry the rocks, making it well suited for projects with a long transit distance between the cargo loading facilities and the project site, such as those along the North American east coast, the Baltic Sea and the southern North Sea.
The large capacity minimises the number of round trips required, ultimately leading to fewer emissions and lower costs per installed volume of rock, according to the owner.
The vessel will accommodate more than 100 people.
Boskalis said its sustainable approach of converting existing hulls offers significant advantages regarding a vessel’s time to market.
