World’s Biggest JackUp Vessel
The world’s largest Jackup Vessel is the Voltaire, named after the renowned Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire.
Owned by the Jan de Nul Group, the vessel was delivered in 2022. It has a lifting capacity exceeding 3,200 tons, is 182 meters long, and is 60 meters wide.
The Voltaire is designed to install the next generation of offshore wind turbines, including those at the Dogger Bank wind farm, which will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm upon completion.
The Voltaire has already installed 277 GE Renewable Energy Haliad-X offshore wind turbines across the Dogger Bank wind farm’s three phases, A, B, and C.
According to the Jan de Nul Group, it is also the world’s tallest liftboat, surpassing the Eiffel Tower.
The largest crane vessel is equipped with an Ottoman crane, with four 130-meter-long outriggers, capable of lifting cargoes up to 16,000 tons.
This ultra-low-emission vessel is equipped with an advanced exhaust gas purification system.
The Voltaire can lift wind turbines up to 270 meters tall with blades up to 120 meters long, making it ideal for the largest and most powerful wind turbines currently in production.
- Best Cable Laying Vessels in the World
- Automatic Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER)
- What is a Triple Hull Vessel?
- Great War Vessels: What are Ironclad Ships?
Its spacious deck area allows for the transport of multiple wind turbine components in a single voyage.
The Voltaire is self-propelled and equipped with an advanced dynamic positioning system.
The vessel can accommodate up to 100 crew members, with crew accommodations located in two compartments on either side of the vessel, allowing long cargo to be stowed along the centerline. The Voltaire also features a helicopter deck for crew transfers and logistics.
This is the largest crane vessel RWE has chartered in over four years and is due to enter service in 2027.
It will be deployed in RWE’s offshore wind projects, such as the Thor project in Denmark and the Hollandse Coast West VII project off the coast of the Netherlands.
