On January 12, CIMC Raffles signed a contract with Dutch offshore giant Van Oord for the construction of a Subsea Rock Installation Vessel, marking another collaboration between the two parties since 2021. This vessel is an optional vessel under the 1+1 Subsea Rock Installation Vessel construction contract signed by both parties in July 2025.
Classified by Bureau Veritas (BV), the newly contracted vessel represents the industry’s pinnacle in design, performance, and environmental standards. Measuring 199 meters in length overall and 32.2 meters in beam, these vessel features DP2 dynamic positioning capability and is designed for a maximum stone-handling capacity of 35,000 tons.
Looking back on the cooperation process, in 2021, CIMC Raffles signed a construction contract with Van Oord for the wind turbine installation vessel “Boreas”. The vessel was built in July 2022, delivered in January 2025, and the naming ceremony was held on June 18, 2025.
As the world’s largest and most sustainable offshore wind turbine installation vessel, the “Boreas” was designed by the leading Danish design firm KEH (Knud E. Hansen). It is 175 meters long, 63 meters wide, with 126-meter-long legs, a maximum working water depth of 80 meters, and a crew of 135. It has a maximum lifting capacity of 55,000 tons, a deck area of over 7,000 square meters, a main crane lifting capacity of 3,310 tons, and a boom height of 155 meters. It is specifically designed for transporting and installing next-generation offshore wind turbines and large foundations, and can install offshore wind turbines with a total height of up to 300 meters and a power of up to 20MW.
Van Oord is a Dutch family-owned enterprise with over 155 years of history. As an international marine contractor, it specializes in dredging waterways, infrastructure construction, offshore wind turbine installation, and oil and gas infrastructure development. The company operates an extensive fleet and possesses a wide range of specialized and auxiliary equipment.
CIMC Raffles is a leading provider of offshore engineering equipment, with core businesses encompassing oil and gas drilling platforms, oil and gas production platforms (FPSO/FLNG), ro-ro vessels, wind turbine installation vessels, floating solar power, green hydrogen equipment, and marine fishery equipment. Through independent innovation and lean management, the company is committed to providing leading, reliable equipment and solutions for human marine resource development, while creating a platform for mutual growth and development.