Cadeler Buys Newbuild Jack-Up from Chinese Company

May 22, 2025, by Adnan Memija

Cadeler has agreed to acquire a newly constructed jack-up wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) from Shanghai Boqiang Heavy Industry Group, which will be upgraded to support the installation of 15 MW wind turbines.

The Boqiang 3060 vessel will be renamed to Wind Keeper, a name symbolising both the vessel’s position as a rare and valuable find, a true ‘keeper’, and its focus on ensuring the upkeep of green energy generation through the provision of operations and maintenance (O&M) services to the offshore wind industry, according to Cadeler.

Cadeler Wind Keeper WTIV jack-up — *Source: Cadeler*

“With the installed base of offshore wind turbines growing substantially, there is a greater need than ever before for reliable and flexible O&M support to ensure uptime and maximise energy production. As an installation-capable, service-oriented asset, the Wind Keeper will be a valuable addition to our fleet. She strongly complements our existing vessel portfolio, immediately permitting operational synergies and allowing us to provide much-needed service support to our clients’ operating offshore assets,” said Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Cadeler.

Completed in 2024, the jack-up features European equipment, including a Huisman main crane with a 2,200-tonne lifting capacity, Kongsberg’s DP2 dynamic positioning system, MAN-supplied engines, and a Siemens propulsion system.

The vessel, which has 120-metre-long legs, is expected to be delivered to Cadeler in the third quarter of 2025 for a purchase price significantly below the ship’s estimated replacement cost, according to the Danish offshore wind installation firm.

Cadeler said it will invest in certain upgrades to improve Wind Keeper‘s operational capacity and align its onboard offering with that of the company’s existing fleet. After the upgrades, the ship will be capable of supporting new installations in the 15 MW segment.

“We scrutinised every available asset, and the Wind Keeper was the clear standout as the only vessel with the technical capabilities and quality of construction necessary to be adequately future-proofed. She is on the water already and so will generate value and revenue much sooner than a newbuilding,” added Gleerup.

In terms of other news coming from Cadeler, the company recently took delivery of its second P-class WTIV, which will be deployed in the US.

The P-class vessels are capable of transporting and installing up to seven complete 15 MW turbine sets per load or five 20+ MW turbines.