Havfram Wind has added a second newbuild wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) to its orderbook with CIMC Raffles as further construction contracts roll in.
The Norway-based wind installer said the order represented the first optional vessel in a four-unit shipbuilding contract with China’s CIMC Raffles signed last year.
The vessel design will be similar to the first GustoMSC NG20000X jack-up currently under construction, with the newest unit slated for delivery in late Q4 2025.
The NG20000X vessel has the capability of installing offshore wind turbines with a rotor diameter of more than 300m, as well as XXL monopiles weighing up to 3,000 tonness at water depths of up to 70m.
Havfram said the onboard capacities have been optimised for high variable deck load and the extreme lift heights expected as offshore turbines continue to grow over the next decade. The onboard crane meanwhile, has a lifting capacity of 3,250 tonnes.
Features include battery-hybrid drive train technology which the group said would significantly reduce the emissions per installed megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity.
Formerly known as Ocean Installer, Havfram spun its subsea and offshore wind divisions into independent units following a majority $250m investment by US investment group Sandbrook Capital last year.
The subsea business remains wholly owned by private equity fund HitecVision, which also holds a minority stake in Havfram Wind.
CEO Even Larsen said the decision to exercise the option was based on “good established cooperation with the shipyard and several commitments with major offshore wind developers.”
“As previously announced, we have signed a contract with Ørsted to install wind turbines at their Hornsea 3 project, starting in autumn of 2026
“Vattenfall has appointed us as preferred supplier for their Norfolk Projects, starting in the spring of 2027. Last week, we signed a preferred supplier agreement with RWE for turbine installation support for their Nordseecluster project, commencing in the summer of 2026.”
The order comes amid a looming crunch on available WTIVs vessels as more and larger offshore projects are sanctioned.
Meanwhile the current fleet of heavy lift and installation units are rapidly approaching their technical limit as 20MW turbines may become the norm towards the end of the decade.
Booming demand for capacity is also likely to affect plans for North Sea decommissioning, where a supply chain crunch now appears inevitable.
Havfram Wind VP and commercial director Martin Degen added: “Globally, we experience a steadily growing demand for offshore wind capacity. At the same time, developments within wind turbine technology cause larger wind turbine components and require therefore larger Wind Turbine Installation vessels.
“Our fleet will be capable of meeting the requirements and challenges of the fast-growing offshore wind market and we are confident that our experienced team will deliver the highest service to clients worldwide.”
CIMC president and CEO Jonathan Wang Jianzhong said the firm was pleased to firm up its partnership with the Norwegian group.
“As a global major offshore equipment EPC contractor, we are confident that we will meet Havfram Wind`s highest demands for quality. In addition, I believe that our cooperation with Havfram Wind will contribute vastly to the offshore wind industry and the global energy transition,” he continued.
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