Jan De Nul Acquires Part of MPI’s Offshore Business Unit
Jan De Nul Group and Vroon Group signed agreements to transfer part of the offshore business of MPI to Jan De Nul Group. Jan De Nul Group herewith invests considerable resources in the offshore wind industry to offer the market a reliable solution for pioneering projects.
The transfer includes ownership of the offshore jack up crane vessel MPI Discovery together with its crew, as well as a number of MPI’s employees. “Jan De Nul Group executed several offshore windfarm projects across Europe. To further support our expansion in Europe but also worldwide, we continue investing in our offshore wind resources. The MPI Discovery will considerably strengthen our position on the market,” says Philippe Hutse, Offshore Director at Jan De Nul Group.
The jack-up vessel MPI Discovery was built in 2011 and was specifically designed to transport, lift and install offshore wind turbines and foundations. Key features on the MPI Discovery include a 1,000t main crane, plus a 50t auxiliary crane, a maximum operating depth of 40m, a deadweight of 6,000t, and accommodation for 112 persons. The vessel is 140m long and is equipped with six legs to lift itself above the sea level for stable working without the impact of waves.
Jan De Nul recently announced the award of the Northwester 2 offshore windfarm in Belgium which is to be kicked off in June 2019. And earlier this year, the company entered as the first European company the Asian offshore windfarm market, signing contracts for two major offshore windfarm projects in Taiwan: the Formosa 1 Phase 2 OWF project for Formosa Wind Power and the Changhua OWF project commissioned by Taiwan Power Company.