Denmark-based offshore installation specialist Cadeler has placed an order to build its third state-of-the-art A-class wind farm installation vessel, which will bring the total number of vessels in its fleet to 11.
Wind Apex will be a hybrid design of Cadeler’s A-class vessels, which can convert from being a foundation installation unit to a wind turbine generator installation vessel within a short period of time. Cadeler already has two P-class, two M-class and two A-class vessels under construction. This third A-class vessel set to be delivered in H1 2027, will be built by COSCO Heavy Industries in Qidong, China, to design standards that will permit it to sail under the Danish flag.
Mikkel Gleerup, ceo of Cadeler, said that the company owns the largest jack-up fleet in the industry. “The decision to build a third A-class vessel is based on the strong market demand for assets specialising in installing foundations. We have already signed firm contracts and entered a long-term agreement with Orsted for our first A-class vessel from 2027 to 2030 and we are in advanced contract negotiations to secure capacity from our second A-class,” he added.
The contract price for this third A-class is approximately USD400 million. It believes it has achieved a competitive price for the newbuild thanks to strong collaboration with COSCO Heavy Industries, and the synergies realised from building several similarly designed jack-ups.
Separately, Cadeler said that it has signed a significant installation vessel reservation agreement with an undisclosed client for upcoming wind farm installation projects. If all options are exercised during the four-year agreement, the agreement would represent the largest deal in Cadeler’s history, with the potential value of the projects to be executed under the agreement estimated to be in the range of EUR400-700 million (USD434.7-760.8 million).
