Cadeler has completed the installation of the first fully commissioned monopile foundation at Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm off the UK coast. The milestone marks the start of a 197-foundation campaign and the Danish installation company’s first full transportation and installation (T&I) contract for offshore monopile foundations.
When complete, Hornsea 3 will have a total capacity of 2.9 GW — making it the largest single offshore wind farm in the world, with output sufficient to power more than 3.3 million UK homes. The project is located off the Yorkshire coast in the North Sea.
The first monopile was installed by Cadeler’s A-class vessel Wind Ally, a purpose-built newbuilding designed to handle XXL-scale monopile foundations. Secondary steel installation was handled by Wind Orca, while the full commissioning of the foundation was carried out by the service operation vessel ESVAGT FROUDE, operated by Danish company ESVAGT. Boston Energy delivered the post-installation commissioning and completion scope.
Bradley Scott, Project Director at Cadeler, said: “This milestone is not just about the first structure in the ground — it represents an important step as we continue expanding into full-scope foundation transport and installation. Delivering projects at this scale requires close collaboration, detailed planning, and strong execution across every phase of the operation. We are proud to support Ørsted on Hornsea 3 and grateful to all teams offshore and onshore whose commitment and collaboration have contributed to reaching this point safely and successfully.”
For Cadeler, taking on the complete T&I scope marks a strategic expansion beyond its previous role as a vessel provider. The company will deploy three of its specialist vessels across the Hornsea 3 campaign — a significant contract for the Copenhagen-headquartered firm as it scales up fleet and capabilities ahead of an accelerating European offshore wind build-out.
