Jan De Nul Orders Largest Rock Installation Vessel to Protect Subsea Infrastructure

Belgian marine contractor Jan De Nul has ordered a rock installation vessel, specifically built to strengthen the protection of offshore energy and subsea data infrastructure.

The vessel, named George W. Goethals, will be the company’s largest rock installation ship to date, with a carrying capacity of 37,000 tonnes. It will be equipped with ultra-low emission technology and engines capable of running on biofuel and green methanol.

According to Jan De Nul, using its flexible vertical fall pipe and an inclined fall pipe system, the vessel will be able to install extra-large rocks to water depths of up to 400 meters.

With numerous energy projects under development in the North Sea and Southeast Asia, these regions will form the core of George W. Goethals operational activity.

The vessel will join Jan De Nul’s existing fleet of two other rock installation vessels above 30,000 tonnes and is being built alongside two extra-large cable-laying ships, Fleeming Jenkin and William Thomson, designed for interconnector projects linking energy grids across the globe.

Jan De Nul said the George W. Goethals will also be fitted with a hybrid power plant, advanced emission control systems, and four electric excavators to enable efficient rock loading operations.

Thousands of kilometres of subsea cables lie on the ocean floor, transporting electricity between countries, connecting offshore wind farms to the mainland, and carrying the bulk of international data traffic.

But they are vulnerable to damage and, due to their strategic importance, potential targets for sabotage. With a new state-of-the-art rock installation vessel, Jan De Nul is taking action to enhance the protection of this critical infrastructure, according to the company.

“A cutting-edge vessel like this represents a major investment and a carefully considered decision. As World Builders, we are fully committed to create a reliable energy system worldwide. Protecting the infrastructure that supports offshore energy production and transmission is essential to achieve this goal. With this new vessel, we are shifting into a higher gear to meet that challenge head-on,” said Philippe Hutse, Director Offshore Energy at Jan De Nul.