On July 16, CIMC Raffles and Van Oord, the Dutch marine contractor, held a virtual signing ceremony to officially conclude an EPC contract for the construction of 1+1 methanol dual-fuel Subsea Rock Installation (SRI) Vessel. Following the successful delivery of the world’s largest and most advanced wind turbine installation vessel “BOREAS” earlier this year, the two parties are once again joining hands, deepening their partnership and vividly demonstrating CIMC Raffles’ core philosophy of “Customer Success First”.
Building a “New Flagship”: High Performance and Green Empowerment
The newly signed SRI Vessel adopts the Ulstein SX236 design and will be classed by Bureau Veritas (BV). It sets a new benchmark in design, performance, and environmental sustainability.
· Large and Efficient Particulars: With a length of 199 meters and a beam of 32.2 meters, the vessel features DP2 dynamic positioning capability. It is designed to carry up to 35,000 tons of rock for subsea installation.
· Green and Sustainable Feature: The vessel has a fully electric-propulsion and powered by three Wärtsilä methanol dual-fuel generators, along with a 3,480kW large-capacity battery energy storage system. The total power station capacity exceeds 17MW. This hybrid system significantly reduces carbon emissions and improves load regulation and energy efficiency.
· Powerful Maneuverability: The vessel is equipped with six high-performance thrusters, greatly enhancing maneuverability, redundancy, and station-keeping performance in complex offshore conditions.
· Crew-Centric Design: The vessel is designed and built to the highest comfort standards under BV’s COMF NOISE 1 and COMF VIB 1 notations, ensuring a healthier and more comfortable onboard experience for crew during extended offshore operations.
At the signing ceremony, Mr. Harold Linssen, Director of Van Oord Ship Management Department, said“We are very pleased to once again join forces with our trusted partner CIMC Raffles on this important project for Van Oord. This new chapter in our long-standing collaboration marks the construction of state-of-the-art Subsea Rock Installation (SRI) vessels, designed to meet the growing demand for offshore energy infrastructure protection. This will further strengthen Van Oord’s leading position in the SRI market segment.”
Mr. Li Minggao, Vice President of CIMC Raffles Group, added:
“Teaming up again with Van Oord is a New Testament to our customer-centric philosophy. CIMC Raffles will dedicate top resources and our best teams, upholding the highest standards of quality and efficiency to deliver a high-performance, environmentally friendly subsea rock installation vessel that will withstand the test of time.”
Upholding Our Core Values: Empowering Clients, Forging ‘Brotherhood-Level’ Partnerships
This new order marks another milestone in the growing partnership between the two companies. Throughout the delivery of the “BOREAS” project, CIMC Raffles overcame tremendous design and schedule challenges by working hand-in-hand with Van Oord. Through lean project management—optimizing workflows, special planning, zone control, and team coordination—the project not only met the delivery deadline but achieved multiple breakthroughs in automation, dimension, and lifting capability.
The value of this partnership goes beyond project execution- it lies in the deep mutual trust. On June 18, Van Oord held a Christening ceremony for the “Boreas” in the Port of Rotterdam, with CIMC Raffles invited as a key partner to witness the event. The owner expressed heartfelt appreciation for CIMC Raffles’ outstanding performance, laying a strong foundation for the signing of the new SRI Vessel project’s letter of intent the very next day.
Van Oord is a Dutch family-owned company with more than 155 years of history. As an international marine contractor, it specializes in dredging, infrastructure development, offshore wind installation, and oil & gas infrastructure construction. Headquartered in Rotterdam, the company currently has over 6,000 employees from more than 90 countries, working on 229 projects across 39 countries. With a large fleet of vessels and a wide range of specialized equipment, Van Oord is known for its pioneering marine engineering technologies and its commitment to building a better future through smart, innovative, and sustainable solutions.
CIMC Raffles is a leading marine engineering equipment provider in China, with core expertise spanning oil & gas drilling platforms, FPSO/FLNG production units, RoRo vessels, offshore wind installation vessels, floating solar, green hydrogen solutions, and marine aquaculture equipment. The company delivers full life-cycle solutions across these product lines, driven by a focus on independent innovation and lean operations. Committed to enabling customer success and empowering industry transformation, CIMC Raffles provides reliable, future-ready solutions for global marine resource development.
This renewed alliance between CIMC Raffles and Van Oord not only drives forward the green, smart, and efficient evolution of marine engineering equipment but also sets a model for deep-rooted, win-win cooperation in the global high-end offshore sector.
