Cadeler signs a contract with COSCO Shipping (Qidong) Offshore Co Ltd to build a giant wind power foundations installation vessel. [Photo/WeChat account: ntjoy2012]

Danish group Cadeler AS and COSCO Shipping (Qidong) Offshore Co Ltd recently signed a contract to build a state-of-the-art wind power foundations installation vessel – in the county-level city of Qidong, administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – costing $345 million.

Based in the city of Copenhagen, the Danish group is a major supplier to the offshore wind power sector that focuses on installation services, operations and maintenance work.

Using hybrid power, the wind power foundations installation vessel will have an estimated payload of over 17,600 metric tons.

It will be capable of transporting and installing seven complete sets of 15-megawatt turbines at a time, or five sets of 20 mW turbines. This will reduce the trips during the installation process and greatly enhance operational efficiency, according to Cadeler.

The Danish group said the vessel is unique in terms of its flexibility and scope, as it can be converted from a large foundation installation ship to a wind turbine installation vessel within a short period of time.

COSCO Shipping (Qidong) Offshore specializes in the manufacturing, reconstruction and maintenance of maritime engineering equipment. The new wind power foundations installation vessel is expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2025.