Voltaire, the largest jack-up installation vessel in the world
The Jan De Nul Group, already a world leader in dredging, is finishing construction of a vessel able to lift loads of over 3,000 tonnes to a height greater than the Eiffel Tower.
Already boasting wide-ranging works such as the construction of six new floodgates in the Panama Canal or the widening of the Suez Canal, the Belgian company is currently being called to participate in the installation of the largest offshore wind turbines in the world.
Named Voltaire, in reference to the Enlightenment philosopher, this vessel will be the largest jack-up installation vessel ever designed during its implementation in 2020. Equipped with a state-of-the-art exhaust filtration system thanks to a selective catalytic reduction system and a diesel particle filter, it will also become the very first deep-sea vessel of its kind to be recognised as an ultra-low emission vessel.
Voltaire will transport and install immense wind turbines in the Dogger Bank wind farms located 130km off the English shore in Yorkshire. Once completed, the Dogger Bank site will generate enough electricity to power over 4.5 million homes per year - nearly 5% of electricity needs in the United Kingdom.