MET MASTS CASE STUDY


Met Mast Removal at Scroby Sands


Consisting of 30 wind turbines it gets its name from the sand bank on which it sits. It has the privilege of being one of the first major offshore windfarms in the UK, coming into operation in 2004. The site also operates a meteorological mast lying to the North of the site. The met mast is fitted with a 40-metre lattice structure mounted on top of a 10 metre monopile section.


PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AT SCROBY SANDS


The site operators wanted this lattice section removed and a tender was awarded to industrial rope access specialists Abfad Limited. Abfad has worked on the Scroby Sands site many times over the years, refurbishing both the turbines and the met mast. This previous experience of working on the windfarm is useful when it comes to planning and preparing for a job of this kind. Helping with the preparation of risk assessments and method statements to enable the work to be carried out safely.


The lattice tower part of the met mast consists of two distinct sections. With almost 40% of the tower made up of the upper section. This upper section consisted of both flanged and bolted vertical sections with welded diagonal tubular bars. The lower section of the lattice tower is made up of both vertical and diagonal struts, all of which are fully bolted to the structure.


TAKING THE STRUCTURE APART At the top of the mast were several anemometry devices, these needed to be disconnected from all power supplies so they could be removed along with the rest of the tower.


Located on the Great


Yarmouth Coastline, Scroby Sands offshore windfarm sits 2.5km out to sea


It was decided that the best way to remove the structure was to use battery operated cutting tools to take it apart in manageable sections. These sections would then be securely attached to ropes and lowered down onto the mast walkway. This was done using a pulley system that Abfad rigged up using rope access techniques.


From the walkway, the cut sections were lowered by another pulley system onto a service vessel below. This proved to be a very safe and efficient method of removing the met mast lattice tower.


Abfad


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