Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has launched its Wind Ace wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) newbuild at the COSCO Qidong yard in China.
With the launching complete, Wind Ace has moved into the final construction phase, which entails installation of the remaining leg sections, the main crane, and the start of commissioning activities.
According to Cadeler, Wind Ace A-Class WTIV will be delivered to the company in 2026, and will become the 11th vessel in its expanding fleet of wind turbine installation vessels.
“Thanks to close collaboration between our local Cadeler site team, the COSCO Qidong yard, DNV, and more than 1,000 skilled yard workers, the hull was fully erected and completed inside the dry dock in just four months. In total, the project has now surpassed 2.9 million safe working hours – an important achievement for everyone involved,” Cadeler said on social media.
Earlier in 2025, Cadeler took delivery of its first A-class WTIV, Wind Ally, designed to transport up to six sets of XXL monopile foundations per round trip.
Wind Ally was the first of three A-class newbuilds ordered by Cadeler. It sister vessels, Wind Ace and Wind Apex, are scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2026 and in 2027, respectively.
The A-class design is tailored to meet the increasing size and complexity of offshore wind turbines and foundations.
With a deck space of 5,600 m2, payload exceeding 18,000 tons, and a main crane capable of lifting above 3,300 tonnes at 39 meters, the vessels can transport and install up to six sets of XXL monopile foundations per load.
The vessels can accommodate up to 130 crew members and installation technicians. The hybrid design of the A-class vessels allows swift conversion between foundation installation and wind turbine generator installation.
To remind, Hanwha Ocean delivered the Wind Mover WTIV to Cadeler earlier in December, completing the second vessel in the company’s M-class series about one month ahead of schedule.
Wind Mover became the tenth WTIV in Cadeler’s fleet and the fifth newbuild the company has received in 2025, doubling its installation fleet from five to ten vessels.