An official keel laying ceremony for ‘Green Jade’ was held today at CSBC’s shipyard in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, marking a major milestone in the construction of this next-generation offshore installation vessel. ‘Green Jade’ is owned by CDWE, a joint venture between CSBC, the largest shipbuilder in Taiwan and DEME Offshore.

Representatives from CDWE and several officials were delighted to witness this important moment in Taiwan’s maritime and offshore wind history.

‘Green Jade’ is the first floating, DP3 heavy lift and installation vessel to be built in Taiwan. The vessel will feature an exceptional combination of transport and load capacity, impressive lifting heights and green technology. With a 4,000-tonne crane capacity, ‘Green Jade’ will enable CDWE and its customers to transport a multitude of the next generation, multi-megawatt turbines, jackets and components in a single shipment, making it extremely cost effective.

‘Green Jade’ highlights CDWE’s ambitions to further support the development of the offshore wind industry in Taiwan and the wider Asia Pacific region. With the vessel being built in Kaohsiung and  operating under the Taiwanese flag, and eventually being crewed by Taiwanese nationals, CDWE is putting every effort into maximising local content.

Set to enter service in 2022, ‘Green Jade’ will be deployed for both the Hai Long and Zhong Neng offshore wind farms.

Hedwig Vanlishout, CEO CDWE, emphasises: “The birth of ‘Green Jade’ shouldered multiple missions. It revolutionised and brought Taiwan’s shipbuilding technology and marine engineering to a new era,  while facilitating the government’s localisation policy, allowing industrial technology and capability to take root in Taiwan. We are realising the blueprints step by step for the first main installation vessel to be built in Taiwan by Taiwan’s shipyard. In the near future, we will develop Taiwan’s offshore wind market further as the expertise and experience of CDWE’s local construction teams develops. This will enable us to take steady steps from Taiwan into the Asia Pacific region’s offshore wind industry in the long-term.”

Hugo Bouvy, Managing Director DEME Offshore, comments: “We are proud to have successfully reached the next stage of the construction process. ‘Green Jade’ highlights DEME’s full commitment to the flourishing Taiwanese offshore wind market. This is underscored by the fact that this represents the largest single overseas investment ever made by the DEME Group. This special vessel is set to revolutionise the offshore wind sector, given its extensive capabilities and loading capacity. Our decision to make such a substantial investment – taken at the height of the pandemic – is already proving to be the right one. Indeed, ‘Green Jade’ has a healthy orderbook for the first three years.”