Jan De Nul orders a new large rock installer George W. Goethals

George W. Goethals will become the third rock installation v essel above 30,000 tonnes in the Jan De Nul fleet. [Image: Jan De Nul]

With a growing global demand for the protection of subsea cable infrastructure, Luxembourg-headquartered Jan De Nul has ordered a new dedicated rock installation vessel, the George W. Goethals.

The vessel has a capacity of up to 37,000 tonnes. With a state-of-the-art flexible vertical fall pipe and an inclined fall pipe system, it will be able to install extra-large rocks in water depths of up to 400 meters and will primarily focus on projects in the energy sector. With major energy projects under development in the North Sea and Southeast Asia, these regions will form the core of its operational activity.

Designed entirely in-house, the George W. Goethals will become the third rock installation vessel above 30,000 tonnes in the Jan De Nul fleet.

“Decades of hands-on experience have given us deep expertise in subsea rock installation,” said Philippe Hutse, director, offshore, energy at Jan De Nul. We have applied this knowledge throughout the vessel’s design. The collective capacity of our subsea rock installation fleet now surges beyond 100,000 tonnes. This investment will strengthen our leading position in the industry.”

The George W. Goethals will be an ultra-low emission vessel (ULEV) with a highly advanced dual exhaust filter system which removes up to 99% of nanoparticles from emissions using a diesel particulate filter and a NOx reduction system. The system also significantly reduces exhaust gas pollutants.

With this technology, the vessel will comply with the strict European Stage V emission standards for inland waterway vessels. Additionally, NOx emissions will be reduced to an extent that will see the vessel meet the even stricter EURO VI emission limits.

The George W. Goethals will be able to operate on biofuel and green methanol, significantly reducing CO2 emissions. It will have hybrid power plant on board that combines the generators with a battery and drive technology, designed for peak shaving, load smoothening, spinning reserve and optimized engine loading.

The vessel will be equipped with four electric excavators. Among other applications, they will be used for loading large size rocks, enabling efficient operations without the need for a dedicated conveyor belt or crane on shore.

To ensure precision and efficiency in subsea rock installation, the vessel will feature key equipment supplied by Fincantieri Group member Remazel Engineering that includes a vertical and an inclined fall pipe system, as well as a rock transport system for rock installation at depths up to 400 meters and for supporting an installation rate up to 2,000 tons/hour.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Jan De Nul on this significant project and to contribute our expertise in offshore equipment engineering,” said Remazel Engineering CEO Andrea Rosa. “This contract underscores our commitment to delivering advanced solutions for subsea infrastructure and offshore construction.”

The vessel’s namesake, George Washington Goethals (1858–1921), the son of Belgian immigrants, was an American military officer and civil engineer best known for overseeing the construction and opening of the Panama Canal.