Havfram Wind has placed a fresh order at CIMC Raffles for an offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), the second such award the Norwegian contractor has given to the Chinese yard since 2021.
To be delivered at the end of 2025, the second vessel will be replica of the first GustoMSC NG20000X jack-up vessel currently under construction at CIMC Raffles’ facility in China’s Shandong province.
The latest battery hybrid drive train technology is incorporated into the design to significantly reduce carbon emissions per installed megawatts of offshore wind capacity, Havfram said.
With crane lifting capacity of 3250 tonnes, the NG20000X vessel iscapable of installing offshore wind turbines with a rotor diameter of more than 300 metres, as well as XXL monopiles weighing up to 3000 tonnes in water depths of up to 70 metres.
Capacities have been optimised for high variable deck load and the extreme lift heights expected over the next decade.
Havfram chief executive Even Larsen said: “The decision to order a second NG20000X jack-up vessel with CIMC Raffles is based on the good established cooperation with the shipyard and several commitments with major offshore wind developers.”
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Havfram has already signed a contract with Orsted to install wind turbines at its Hornsea 3 project, starting in the third quarter of 2026. Vattenfall has appointed Havfram as preferred supplier for its Norfolk, UK, projects starting in early 2027.
Last week, the company signed a preferred supplier agreement with RWE for turbine installation support for its Nordseecluster project, commencing in mid-2026.
CIMC Raffles chief executive Wang Jianzhong said: “We are pleased to firm [up] our existing agreement with this second vessel for Havfram Wind and are proud to be a partner for the development of Havfram’s offshore wind business.