Van Oord’s flexible fallpipe vessel Nordnes has reached a remarkable milestone. The vessel has installed a staggering 20 million tonnes of rock, a record unparalleled in the subsea rock installation market.

Since 2005, Nordnes has been installing rocks on the seabed to protect and stabilise offshore energy infrastructure on projects all around the world. In total, the vessel has now installed an impressive 20 million tonnes of rock.

Tim Raaphorst, Captain of the Nordnes: ‘We are very proud to be able to celebrate this massive milestone. A big thanks to the dedicated and professional Nordnes crew for making this happen!’  

Nordnes is part of Van Oord’s fleet of flexible fallpipe vessels, which are highly efficient for subsea rock installation. The vessels are equipped with a unique flexible fallpipe system and remote operating vehicles (ROV), allowing them to install rock at a high level of accuracy.

David Schulberg, Contracts & Supply Chain Director, Norway, at Subsea 7: ‘Subsea7 wishes to congratulate Van Oord and the Nordnes crew on the remarkable milestone of 20 million tonnes of installed rock. The Nordnes has made significant contributions to numerous Subsea7 projects, consistently demonstrating excellence in subsea rock installation.’

Alf Roger Hellestø, Project Manager Power & Installation, Ormen Lange Phase 3 (OLP3) Project, at Shell: ‘The OLP3 Project would like to recognise Van Oord and the Nordnes on reaching an amazing 20 million tonnes of installed rock since 2005. This is a fantastic milestone, achieved while working on the Ormen Lange project! Van Oord has been a key player in the OLP3 project since we entered the execution phase. With its outstanding safety standards, excellent upfront planning and efficient execution, Van Oord has really inspired and supported the other key players in the project and are a main contributor ion to project performance and deliverables.’

Van Oord has led the market in subsea rock installation for more than 35 years, servicing the offshore energy industry in pre- and post-lay rock installation on pipelines, cables, scour protection installation, seabed preparation and ballasting services for offshore structures. The Nordnes is not the only Van Oord record holder. Earlier this year, the company’s flexible fallpipe vessel Stornes installed rock at a record-breaking 1,368 metres below sea level. Such achievements allow Van Oord to continue strengthening its position as the market leader for subsea rock installation.