Cadeler has taken delivery of its first A-class vessel, Wind Ally , which will begin operations installing foundations at Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the UK North Sea following mobilisation.
The new vessel has been under construction for two years at the Cosco shipyard in Qidong, China. It has been delivered ahead of schedule and within budget, according to Cadeler. The design is a result of close cooperation between Cadeler and its partners, including COSCO, GustoMSC, NOV, Kongsberg, Huisman , and MAN Energy.
With a deck space of 5,600 square metres, a payload exceeding 18,000 tonnes, and a main crane capable of lifting above 3,300 tonnes at 39 metres, Wind Ally can transport and install up to six sets of XXL monopile foundations per load.
The vessel is the first of three A-class newbuilds ordered by Cadeler. Its sister vessel, Wind Ace , is scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2026, followed by Wind Apex in 2027.
The hybrid design of the A-class vessels allows conversion between foundation and wind turbine installations.
“Over the past year, we have built the needed capabilities to take on the full foundations scope. Establishing an entirely new department of dedicated specialists and investing in the design of vessels tailored for XXL monopiles has been a huge effort across the company,” said Mikkel Gleerup , CEO of Cadeler.
“Hornsea 3 will be the first project where we bring all of this preparation together, and I am proud that we now stand ready to deliver the complete T&I of foundations as a trusted and long-term partner to Ørsted .”
For the first time, Cadeler will take on the entire transport and installation (T&I) scope for offshore monopile foundations. In addition to the T&I of monopiles, the company will be responsible for the installation of around half of Hornsea 3 ‘s wind turbines.
The monopiles for the 2.9 GW offshore wind farm will be delivered by Haizea Wind Group and SeAH Wind . The project, located approximately 160 kilometres off the Yorkshire coast, will comprise around 200 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW wind turbines and is expected to be operational in 2027.
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