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JACK-UP VESSELS


FEATURE SPONSOR


INSTALLATION WORKS ON OFFSHORE WINDFARMS


In the last 15 years, MPI Offshore has established itself as a pioneer and one of the few market leaders when it comes to wind turbine installation vessels.


However, in the last 15 years, the market has changed significantly requiring fewer interfaces, bespoke engineering services, greater performance responsibilities and a comprehensive service from start to finish. That being said, this article will highlight two of MPI’s recent projects in which the sister- vessels MPI Adventure and MPI Discovery played a vital role.


SANDBANK


The first project is the 288MW offshore windfarm Sandbank which consists of 72 Siemens SWT-4.0-130 offshore wind turbines (WTGs), foundations, inter-array cables and an offshore substation. The windfarm is located in the German Bight, within the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), close to the German-Danish border. The offshore installation site is located approximately 100km West- Northwest of the island of Sylt and approximately 105km off the harbour of Esbjerg, Denmark. Before commencing the actual WTG installation works, MPI Adventure was used as a walk-to-work and accommodation vessel for the substation commissioning team. The substation itself is located right in the middle of the offshore windfarm and will connect the 72 WTGs to the Sylwin 1 Converter station which delivers the electricity to the German grid. The contract to assist with the commissioning of the substation gave the involved offshore teams the opportunity to get acquainted. The advantage of this became clear by the time the WTG installation works started. Since July 2016, the Port of Esbjerg was used to load the installation vessel with six WTGs per cycle (towers, nacelles and


blades). Later that month, Sandbank’s first WTG was installed. Over the course of the following 6 months, the remaining WTGs were installed with a distance between each of the turbines of approximately 1,000m. Transit from Esbjerg to the offshore windfarm took approximately six hours and in favourable weather conditions a full WTG (tower, nacelle & blades) was erected per day. The final turbine was installed by the end of January 2017, some three months ahead of schedule.


UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF COOPERATION


MPI Managing Director, Peter Robinson, commented, “This project was delivered with an unprecedented level of cooperation between developer, turbine supplier and turbine installation vessel owners. Both the onshore and offshore teams involved in this sound working relationship can walk away very proud of their efforts.”


Along with the supply of the vessel, MPI was responsible for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the sea fastenings which were used during the transportation and installation of all the above mentioned turbines. Once the offshore windfarm is fully commissioned, it will be able to generate green electricity for more than 400,000 households.


RAMPION


The second project to be highlighted is Rampion Offshore Wind (ROW). This project is broken up in two sections relating to the installation of the foundations and the offshore wind turbines.


FOUNDATION INSTALLATION


In 2015, MPI was contracted by Rampion Offshore Wind (ROW) to provide the project management and engineering services associated with foundation mobilisation, load out, installation and demobilisation using its vessel MPI Discovery. The Rampion Offshore Windfarm (400MW) is situated off the South coast of England and consists of 116 WTGs supported by traditional monopile and transition piece foundations.


The engineering services commenced in the spring of 2015, developing innovative designs for transverse monopile sea fastening grillages and a complex upending hinge for varying sizes of monopiles up to 6.5m diameter and 850te in weight. Innovation included a unique saddle design which adapted for multiple sizes of monopiles and provided the necessary transverse restraint to meet the most onerous sailing criteria. MPI Discovery was mobilised in December 2015 and commenced foundation installation in the Rampion field on January 16th 2016. Installation progressed until the commencement of the no-piling period on 15th April to 30th June 2016. During this first phase of works, 18 foundations were installed. In parallel, MPI was also contracted


to provide the project management and engineering services for a second vessel (Pacific Orca) which was due to commence foundation installation from 1st July 2016 as part of a 2 vessel installation strategy implemented by ROW. The vessel was mobilised in June 2016 in Teesside and commenced installation in the field in July 2016. The deck layout and


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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk


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