Belgium-based shipowner Jan de Nul is assessing the condition of its jack-up wind turbine installation vessel (WITV) Voltaire after it was hit by Typhoon Muifa in China.
The world’s biggest such ship is under construction by Cosco (Nantong) Shipyard and was due to enter service later this year.
The ship was not at Nantong at the time of the storm damage, however, but at another Cosco Shipyards facility at Qidong, near the mouth of the Yangtze River.
Jan De Nul said that during the night of 14 to 15 September, the eye of the typhoon passed over the shipyard, causing the vessel to come loose from its moorings.
“Fortunately, no one was injured,” the owner added.
“Voltaire is now safely moored back in the shipyard and first-sight assessments show limited damage to certain parts of the crane and the helideck. Further assessments are ongoing,” the company said.
Muifa made landfall in eastern China on Wednesday evening.
It arrived as a Category 2 storm and China issued its first red alert of the year as a result.
The storm’s winds reached 95mph, causing waves above five metres.
The Guardian reported 7,400 vessels were seeking shelter in ports in Zhejiang province.
First assignment
Earlier this year, Jan De Nul announced its third contract to install turbines at the Dogger Bank wind farm in the North Sea.
The shipowner will transport and install 87 GE Haliade-X 14 MW structures for Dogger Bank C — the third phase of Equinor and SSE Renewables’ project 200 km (124 miles) off the UK.
Following deals for Dogger Bank A and B, Jan De Nul will now work on 277 turbines in total.
The owner will use the 169-metre, 21,500-dwt Voltaire, the ship’s first assignment.
The Voltaire has a lifting capacity of more than 3,000 tonnes.
