The new offshore installation vessel of the Jan De Nul Group was christened by Her Majesty the Queen of Belgium in the Port of Ostend, which is the base camp for Jan de Nul Group's project team for the Bligh Bank Phase 2 project, better known as the Nobelwind project.

The vessel was given the name Vole au vent.

The Vole au vent, which is 140 metres long and has a Liebherr crane on deck, was acquired by Jan De Nul group in 2015, aiming to be a partner in the offshore wind energy industry.

It is one of the largest vessels of its kind in the world as its large clear deck space, high loading capacity and the lifting capacity of 1,400 tonnes allow it to install the heaviest foundations and components of offshore wind farms.

The vessel is equipped with four spud poles so that it can be jacked up above water and work safely and unaffected by wave impact. The Vole au vent can install all types of foundations and the latest generation of wind turbines at sea up to a water depth of 50 metres.

The vessel has been specifically built for the execution of offshore wind projects, but is also deployable for other offshore industries such as oil & gas.