SCOUR FEATURE
EFFECTIVE SCOUR PROTECTION
TEESSIDE OFFSHORE WIND FARM SCOUR PROTECTION PROJECT Marske Site Services (MSS) has just completed specialist sea bed protection work on the Teesside offshore wind farm.
EDF Energy Renewables appointed MSS of Stokesley, near Middlesbrough, to carry out the ‘scour protection’ of the steel monopile foundations located 1.5km off the coast of Redcar in the Tees bay.
PROJECT DETAIL
The specialist underwater engineering work involved the placement of large nets filled with loose stone around the base of each turbine to offset any removal of seabed sediment caused by wave and tidal movement.
The Nylon and polyester filter bag is made from 61% recycled bottles and filled with carburised limestone, to provide a stable yet flexible structure that requires no seabed levelling or dredging prior to installation.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCT
The product is environmentally friendly and has been certified by FEPA (Food & Environment Protection Agency) and DEFRA (Department of Environment, Fisheries & Rural Affairs) and works effectively to stabilise the velocity of flow around sub surface structures preventing suction and scour for ‘life.’
The filter units create a porous structure that is positioned on the sea bed to protect it from the effects of scouring, whilst also allowing fish to circulate and creating a new habitat for shellfish and other marine life.
INSTALLATION TECHNIQUE For this project, MSS used their unique Patent-Applied installation technique. The company’s diverless installation methodology is a viable and cost-effective solution for existing foundations without protection where scour has been identified, or for foundations where the protection has been washed away or has failed.
For the Teesside project they installed a matrix of 4-tonne & 8-tonne capacity filter bags to provide coverage, flexibility and stability. It was important that the bags were laid in a specific configuration, which is due to the process which incorporates visual sonar imaging and a diverless remote release mechanism to ensure the bags were positioned safely and accurately.
SPECIALIST SUBSEA CONSTRUCTION VESSEL
The work was undertaken from the 7,000te DP2 Maersk Responder, a specialist subsea construction vessel which, due to the stable platform and the high capacity it provides, enables this work to be continued around the clock from a single vessel.
The MSS Engineering team mobilised the vessel, coming up with a unique solution for safely transporting an extra-large load of filter bags, which, combined with a 50% improvement in the time taken to complete each monopile, resulted in the Scour Protection Project team completing the project both safely and ahead of schedule.
TEAM EFFORT
On completion of the work the Project Manager of EDF, Tim Bland, thanked the team for the “brilliantly executed job.”
John McCullagh, Director of MSS, said: “MSS is a Teesside company with an international business base; it’s great to secure such a project on our doorstep! We employ many Teesside people and I would like to thank the whole team for bringing in this project safely, accurately and ahead of schedule.”
Marske Site Services Ltd
www.marskesiteservices.co.uk
50
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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