Jan De Nul Group 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 wind farm 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.
Specifications of the MPI Discovery
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 1,000-tonnes main crane, plus a 50-tonnes auxiliary crane, a maximum operating depth of 40 metres, a deadweight of 6,000 tonnes, and accommodation for 112 persons. The vessel is 140 metres long and is equipped with six legs to lift itself above the sea level for stable working without the impact of waves.
Offshore wind experience of Jan De Nul Group
The company recently announced the award of the Northwester 2 offshore wind farm in Belgium which is to be kicked off in June 2019. And earlier this year, Jan De Nul Group entered as the first European company the Asian offshore wind farm market, signing contracts for two major offshore wind farm projects in Taiwan: the Formosa 1 Phase 2 OWF project for Formosa Wind Power Co. and the Changhua OWF project commissioned by Taiwan Power Company. As such, Jan De Nul Group is a pioneer in exporting the wind farm expertise from the Low Countries outside Europe.
Luxembourg, Belgium headquartered Jan De Nul Group is a family-owned company specializing in dredging and land reclamation, rock placing, trenching, rock dumping for oil and gas related offshore pipeline projects, quay walls, marine related projects, civil engineering and large-scale environmental remediation projects. Dredging accounts for 85% of the Group's turnover. With a yearly turnover of EUR 1.9 billion, the company ranks among the international top of dredging contactors and the top of marine engineering contractors.
