INVEST NORTHERN IRELAND SPONSORS OF REGIONAL FOCUS
ORMONDE OFFSHORE WINDFARM IN THE IRISH SEA – A CLOSER LOOK
The recently completed Ormonde offshore windfarm has given A2SEA plenty to think about.
The company – which provides offshore wind installation and service solutions – was contracted to install the huge 5MW REpower turbines on Vattenfall’s windfarm.
SUCCESS - AND AHEAD OF SCHEDULE By all accounts the project was a huge success – in fact, A2SEA finished about three weeks ahead of schedule. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of the job, though, was the fact that the work had similarities to that which will be undertaken for the future UK Round 3 zones, giving the company a valuable insight into what will be required for the future.
A CHALLENGE Hans Schneider, COO of A2SEA, suggests that the project was challenging in terms of logistics. “Ormonde is the first full-scale 5MW commercial park, and bringing out these mega turbines was new to us. The port we used was Harland and Wolff in Belfast harbour. We had to tow the turbines a distance taking nearly 24 hours. We also faced restrictions with loading SEA JACK as we were not permitted to jack-up in port, and were therefore unable to benefit from using SEA JACK’s 800t onboard crane for loading. Work on this scale and at these distances is similar to the requirements we will see in Round 3 – however, our first generation vessel SEA JACK completed the installation very successfully.”
To prepare for the tow A2SEA made use of a full-scale simulator at the Technology Institute in Denmark. “We were well aware of the restrictions we faced using the Musgrove Channel so to prepare for this obstacle we used a 3D simulator. We did the “tow out” from Belfast many times in the simulator before we did it in reality. Our key crew including Masters, Pilots and Project Managers participated in the simulated sailing in order to reduce the learning curve to a bare minimum. We saw immediate positive effects of this simulated sailing training when we began the project, and we believe this helped with the excellent delivery of this project safely and ahead of time.” says Schneider.
SOLUTIONS SOUGHT - AND FOUND The company also had to find its own solutions when installing the blades. On previous projects, the blades have been installed one at a time, putting the blade up and then turning the hub to install the next one. However, in this case the full 120m diameter rotor was transported and installed as one piece.
PORT SELECTION Even the port had to be carefully selected. In fact, the larger turbines required so much space that Belfast was the only port on the west side of the UK that was suitable for the job. On the east side of England there are a few more ports that can handle bigger components – however, Schneider indicates that port infrastructure will need to be carefully considered for Round 3. “This is the case not only for the UK but also for most of North Europe” he says.
JACKET FOUNDATIONS The project also used jacket foundations, although these were not installed by A2SEA. Having seen them installed, Schneider is confident that the sector will eventually use jacket foundations for a large part of UK Round 3. He confirms that these larger foundations will eventually require larger vessels. It’s even possible that the industry may require separate installation vessels for foundations and for turbines.
For those offering installation services, one vessel alone amounts to a significant investment, so organisations will have to expand their fleet in close connection with demand.
A2SEA
www.a2sea.co.uk
e = See enhanced entry online = See video library online
Photographer Tony West/Vattenfall
50
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148