DEME celebrated the official christening of its new offshore wind turbine installation vessel, the Norse Wind. The ceremony, held in the Port of Oslo, brought together guests from Belgium and Norway.
Equipped with a 3,200-tonne crane, the unit will transport and install the next generation of XXL wind turbines and monopiles in depths of up to 70 meters.
The Norse Wind will soon set sail for the North Sea, where, in the coming years, it will transport and install Vestas offshore wind turbines for, among others, the Nordseecluster project, a joint offshore wind development plan by RWE and Norges Bank Investment Management.
Prior to the christening ceremony, DEME welcomed on board the King and Queen of Belgium, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, and Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders and Minister of Economy.
Their joint presence highlighted the strong and enduring ties between Belgium and Norway and underscored the shared commitment of both nations to advancing the future of offshore wind energy. Ingrid Schulerud, former Norwegian Ambassador to Belgium, officially christened the vessel.
“We are deeply honored that guests from Belgium and Norway joined us today for the christening ceremony of the Norse Wind, which represents a major step forward in DEME’s offshore transport and installation capabilities,” explained Luc Vandenbulcke, CEO of DEME.
“Our new vessel reflects DEME’s ambition to push boundaries, accelerate the deployment of offshore wind energy, and deliver innovative solutions for the energy sector. We look forward to the vessel starting its first project, which will herald a new chapter in our offshore wind installation activities,” added Vandenbulcke.
Designed to install the next generation of offshore wind turbines, the Norse Wind combines advanced technology with a strong focus on energy efficiency.
Construction began in 2023 under the direction of Havfram, the Norwegian offshore wind company acquired by DEME in April 2025. Together with its sister vessel, the Norse Energi, it will play a key role in executing some of the world’s largest offshore wind projects, further strengthening DEME’s leadership position in the global offshore energy market.
With the capacity to transport four 20 MW or six 15 MW wind turbines, the Norse Wind can carry and install significantly more power per trip than smaller vessels. This is expected to translate into highly efficient project execution.
The design incorporates a hybrid power plant and a 4.2 MWh battery system that manages power peaks and reduces the load on diesel engines, resulting in greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
