Danish offshore wind installation contractor Cadeler on Monday said it has signed an agreement with Ørsted for the installation of offshore foundations at the Hornsea 3 offshore windfarm, off the east coast of the U.K.
Scheduled to begin in 2026, the offshore installation campaign will mark the first for Cadeler's new $345 million F-class jack-up installation vessel being built by China's COSCO Heavy Industries for expected delivery in the fourth quarter of 2025. The newbuild will be able to transport up to six XL monopiles (weight 2,300-2,600mt each) per round-trip.
Cadeler said its contract with Ørsted contains a further mutual commitment to develop the vessel hire agreement into a transportation and installation (T&I) contract for the entire foundation scope. The agreement is subject to Ørsted taking a positive final investment decision (FID) on Hornsea 3.
Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Cadeler, said, “The decision of initiating and later successfully completing a private placement for our F-class vessel was based on an increased market demand for assets specializing in the complexity of installing a new generation of XL foundations. We have proved time and again that we possess the knowhow and the equipment needed to be successful in this specialized realm, which requires a high level of expertise. It is therefore a great opportunity for us to continue executing projects in the North Sea, but this time focusing on foundation installations in a wider offering, while building further on the strong partnership we already have with Ørsted.”
The wind farm will be located in the North Sea, about 121 kilometers off the Norfolk coast, and 160 kilometers off the Yorkshire coast, spreading across an area of 696 square kilometers. Once the project is completed, the offshore wind turbines will be able to generate up to 2.852 GW of energy.