BEATRICE – THE STORY SO FAR


ANOTHER MAJOR MILESTONE


For FoundOcean, the summer of 2017 turned out to be another major milestone in the company’s history


FEATURE SPONSOR


PROJECT SUPPORT GAC UK has been appointed by Seaway Heavy Lifting (SHL) to provide essential shipping services support for the construction and installation of 84 new turbines as part of a major windfarm expansion project which will increase generating capacity almost six-fold


SHIPPING, LOGISTICS AND SUPPORT SOLUTIONS SHL has appointed GAC UK to provide a range of services including…


» Ship agency and handling of vessels delivering materials and equipment for the construction work, with a location in the Cromarty Firth being used as a storage hub for grout deliveries to the offshore site


» Support for other vessels that will be involved in the project, such as CTVs, multi-cats and barges at all ports in the UK except Wick


Following successful completion of rigorous on-shore trials of their proposed solution, they were awarded the grouting, grout procurement and deliveries subcontract for the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) project by Seaway Heavy Lifting, the EPCI contractor appointed by BOWL. However, to not describe the significance of the award to FoundOcean would be to do their project teams and their partners an injustice.


INVESTMENT IN TIME AND RESOURCES Although the logistics around material supply does and always will, play an important supportive role in the successful execution of a project, never before had the company been part of something where the material supply planning required so much investment in time and resource. So for the first time, FoundOcean and its supporting partner team, was called upon to develop a robust, but flexible, material supply plan, which could keep pace with their client’s installation schedule.


It was the reassurance that the company provided, in delivering a fit for purpose logistic solution, coupled with the company’s reliable off-shore track record and the technical superiority of the material it was mixing and pumping, which resulted in the eventual subcontract award.


DELIVERY LOGISTICS Since summer, FoundOcean, and its key strategic partners, have been mobilised and delivering what will amount to approximately 12,300 tonnes of dry bulk-supplied material. A material which starts its journey at a production facility in the middle of mainland Europe and ends in securing the 86 jacket foundations of the BOWL project off the north-east coast of Scotland.


MEETING SPECIFICATIONS


With that said and done, the logistics of supply is just one aspect of the subcontract. Mixing and pumping a material, which meets the designer’s specification, to secure the foundations to the seabed is unarguably the company’s primary objective.


To this end FoundOcean made use of a bulk supplied material that ticked all the right boxes. It provided the right material properties and demonstrated high volume stability and long term durability, all with the added bonus of supporting faster and safer grouting times. The company is expected to be on the project well into 2018.


FoundOcean 28 www.windenergynetwork.co.uk


» Handling crew changes out of Aberdeen using a helicopter service, with Invergordon as a back-up


» Arranging local towage services


» Providing office and staff accommodation for SHL personnel working on the project


Both SHL’s crane vessels will be, or have been, deployed: HLV Stanislav Yudin’ from April 2017 to April 2018, HLV ‘Oleg Strashnov’ from August to October 2017 and again from May to July 2018.


CONTRACT AWARD DECISION Michiel Goedkoop, Operations Director at SHL commented: “GAC’s understanding of the quality and efficiency our operations require and the time-critical nature of support our sector demands and their proven dependability, were key in the decision to award them the contract.” Jeannette Shoebridge, GAC UK’s Renewables & Dry Bulk Manager, added: “As a Group, we have a long-standing relationship with SHL and their vessels, especially the ‘Stanislav Yudin’, which we have taken care of at Gwynt-y- Mor, Burbo Bank and Dudgeon windfarms previously. A 3D illustration of the ‘Stanislav Yudin’ even features in GAC’s advertising campaign!”


COMMITMENT TO RENEWABLE ENERGY GAC has been serving the renewable energy sector in the UK since its beginnings and was instrumental in the development of Walney 1 and 2, West of Duddon Sands, London Array, Gwynt-Y-Mor, Humber Gateway, Westermost Rough, Burbo Bank and Dudgeon windfarms.


GAC Group


HLV Oleg Strashnov will be deployed on the BOWL project from August to October 2017 and from May to July 2018


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