Dajin Heavy Industry has selected the ULSTEIN HX122 design for an offshore installation vessel as the Chinese offshore wind foundation supplier expands into offshore installation.
Designed by Ulstein Design & Solutions in the Netherlands, the vessel will be equipped to install monopiles, jacket foundations and offshore substations. The Norway-headquartered vessel designer introduced the ULSTEIN HX122 design back in 2022, saying the aim was to tackle the shortage of specialised vessels needed to install next-generation offshore wind foundations.
Dajin said the move will expand its existing capabilities in foundation manufacturing, logistics and transportation into offshore installation.
The ULSTEIN HX122 features Ulstein’s U-STERN hull solution, which lets the vessel store and upend monopiles longitudinally along its centreline at the stern. Combined with Ulstein’s X-BOW hull design, the configuration is said to improve vessel motions and operability in demanding offshore conditions and increase the available weather window for installation campaigns.
The vessel will be capable of installing future 4XL monopiles and will feature a large working deck, advanced lifting equipment and dynamic positioning. The design can also be used for offshore oil and gas construction and decommissioning activities.
Dajin said adding offshore installation to its existing foundation manufacturing, logistics and transportation capabilities will allow it to offer a more integrated service across the offshore wind foundation supply chain and reduce interfaces between different parties during project execution.
Over the past year, the company has added two newbuild heavy cargo vessels capable of transporting extra-large monopile foundations, with the third vessel in the series expected to be delivered by the end of September this year.
"Offshore wind has entered a new development phase, and installation capacity is the core bottleneck for project delivery. The ULSTEIN HX122 with U-STERN® project represents Dajin’s strategic layout to close the final link in offshore wind foundation delivery”, said Feng Qi, Vice President at Dajin.
“We aim to develop high-performance, multi-functional installation platforms, enabling a shift from developers’ separate coordination of manufacturing, transportation and installation to Dajin’s one-stop delivery, to better support large-scale offshore wind development.”