8 June 2026 – Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd has contracted Norway-based TMC Compressors (TMC) to deliver the marine compressed air system to two innovative subsea rock installation vessels that are being built for international marine contractor Van Oord.
Illustration courtesy of Van Oord/Ulstein
Under the contract, TMC will deliver a complete marine compressed air system, including instrument air compressors and air dryers, to each of the two vessels. TMC has not disclosed the value of the contract.
“It is always fun and interesting to equip innovative and unique vessels such as these two. They can play an important role in facilitating the energy transition through enabling, amongst other things, offshore wind projects,” says Hans-Petter Tanum, TMC’s director of sales and business development.
Subsea rock installation, pioneered by Van Oord since the 1970s, is vital for protecting and stabilising offshore energy assets. With a track record in efficient and innovative flexible fallpipe vessels, Van Oord is a market leader in seabed intervention.
The new vessels will be equipped with a substantial loading capacity of 35,000 tonnes, will be capable of handling large rock sizes, and feature a DP-2 dynamic positioning system. This advanced system will enable the vessels to maintain precise positioning despite challenging conditions such as waves, wind and currents. These features will make the vessels ideal for long-distance projects, as they will minimise round trips, reducing emissions and costs per installed rock volume. The sustainable design of the vessels includes multi-fuel engines (biofuel and methanol), a DC-grid with large battery storage capacity, and an energy-efficient hull design and rock handling system.
“Our marine compressed air systems are highly reliable and designed so that the vessel crew can maintain the compressors themselves, also while at sea. We believe this is the ideal solution for a vessel that is designed to manage long-distance projects,” adds Hans-Petter Tanum.
Van Oord is a Dutch family-owned company with more than 155 years of experience as an international marine contractor. The company operates a fleet of 61 vessels, including three subsea rock installation vessels.
TMC is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. The company designs and delivers compressed air systems solely for marine and offshore use.