installation vessels
generator installation and, as of the end of August, was installing Vestas turbines for the same project. The end of August/early September was expected to see all three vessels jacked up and installing substation jackets, monopiles and transition pieces, and wind turbine generators for the Humber Gateway project, all working within 10 nautical miles of one another. August also saw MPI Offshore confirm that that company’s services in general and MPI Adventure specifically had been selected to transport and install all 72 Siemens 4MW turbines for the Sandbank offshore windfarm. In keeping with its growing role as a turnkey contractor, the company will also undertake a wide range of related services on the Sandbank project. August saw Vattenfall and Stadtwerke München (Munich City Utilities, SWM) confirm their commitment to the Sandbank project, which is their second joint offshore windfarm off the German North Sea coast. The new windfarm will be built 110km off the German coast. MPI’s involvement in respect of turbine installation on the Sandbank project is due to commence at the end of the summer of 2016.
In a statement, MPI Offshore said it was particularly pleased to be part of the project, providing an opportunity to offer a wide range of services including vessel, project management and engineering under a single generic contract. For MPI Offshore, the contract also
represents a return to the German market, the company having recently completed installation of all of the turbines in the 200MW Trianel Windpark Borkum, which is also in the German North Sea. MPI Offshore was responsible for installing all of the 40 Areva M5000-116 turbines in the
At times, all three of MPI Offshore’s installation vessels have worked together on the Humber Gateway project
windfarm, using Eemshaven as its base port for the loading, transportation and installation of the three-piece towers and rotor-star configuration turbines. In order to create the best case installation cycle, MPI Adventure was adapted to transport three complete sets of turbines in a single voyage. This was made possible by the use of specially developed seafastenings that enabled three rotor stars to be stacked on top of each other. The custom-made seafastenings were designed in house by the company. “MPI’s specialised services and equipment guaranteed efficient, ‘just-in-time’ onshore assembly of the rotor stars and supply of all components, ensuring no vessel downtime occurred during load-out in port,” said the company.
The company first established its base in Eemshaven in 2013 in order to carry out the onshore logistics operations for the windfarm. This involved movement of the main wind turbine generator components from the storage area, movement of blades and hubs to the assembly area and subsequent build-up of the rotor star, movement of the assembled rotor stars within the radius of MPI Adventure’s 1,000 tonne crane for load-out and
MPI Adventure has undertaken a wide range of different assignments on Humber Gateway
installation of component-handling equipment for load-out. Using engineered lift plans prepared by MPI Consultants, support stools were set out on the heavy-lift quay at Eemshaven such that all of the components could be located within the lifting radius of the vessel’s crane. MPI SPMT operators and banksmen transported the tower sections and the nacelles to the edge of the quay. Once in position, the load was lowered onto support stools ready for load-out when the vessel arrived. This process was repeated for three full sets of components until the heavy-lift quay was fully populated. In tandem with this, another MPI team assembled rotor stars, complete with tag line systems for load-out and offshore installation. One full cycle (of three sets of components) took approximately five days to complete on a 12-hour day shift, in suitable weather conditions. Describing the design, modelling, fabrication and installation of the triple 5MW rotor stacks, MPI Offshore said that, whilst the shape, size, style and technical challenges of offshore components continue to evolve, so must construction and installation engineering. Trianel’s selection of the 5MW Areva wind turbine generator unit resulted in the need for a complete hub with three-blade installation rotor star to be transported offshore and installed as a single piece. With a large sail area, these bulky blade configurations required a bespoke solution for multiple sets to be carried. MPI Consultants developed the lift plans and vessel layouts required to carry the combined 15MW of power. This also included purpose-designed seafastenings to secure the rotor stars to the stern deck of MPI Adventure. MPI Consultants also supplied engineering and provided operational support for the onshore logistics associated with the assembly and load- out of wind turbine generators. OWJ
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