Renewable Energy
GIANTS N
orth-east Scotland has marked a UK off shore wind fi rst, following the successful installation of the fi rst pioneering suction bucket
jacket foundation for Vattenfall’s 11-turbine European Off shore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in just 15 hours. T e EOWDC in Aberdeen Bay is the
fi rst off shore wind project to deploy the foundations at commercial scale with each of the 11 steel jacket foundations weighing in at almost 10 Boeing 747s. One of the world’s largest and most
versatile fl oating cranes - the 25,000 tonne Asian Hercules III, which has a lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes - lifted and installed the fi rst 1,800 tonne structure in March 2018. Gunnar Groebler from Vattenfall
says: “T e EOWDC is a cornerstone of Vattenfall’s and the industry’s drive for innovative cost reduction in off shore wind. To be fossil-free within one generation, a climate smart off shore wind programme embracing science and technology is really important for us. Where appropriate, we are keen to see the EOWDC’s novel approach to foundations along with all its other innovations - rolled out to the rest of the industry.” Adam Ezzamel, EOWDC project director for Vattenfall, explains: “T e
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fi rst installation of the suction bucket foundations is a major accomplishment for the EOWDC project team, our contractors and the off shore wind industry. Suction bucket jacket foundations - which can each be installed with a single off shore lift, virtually without noise and within a matter of hours - bring considerable environmental benefi ts. T ey are lowered into the water where the upturned buckets are rapidly embedded into the seabed to create a secure foundation for installation of the world’s most powerful wind turbine later this spring. “By enabling faster and smarter installation, the technology will drive down off shore wind costs considerably, provide a further foundation option at challenging sites, whilst also allowing an easier and complete decommissioning. T ese foundations are the fi rst visible structures off shore for the EOWDC, which we hope will help establish the North-east as a centre for off shore wind innovation.” Scottish Government Minister for
Business, Innovation and Energy, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, said: “T e European Off shore Wind Deployment Centre provides a real opportunity to showcase how innovation can continue to reduce the cost of off shore wind and it’s fantastic to, at long last, see the fi rst installation of the project’s off shore infrastructure.
“As outlined in our Energy Strategy,
we see huge industrial and economic potential attached to off shore wind and fl oating off shore wind. We will continue to support growth in this sector to maintain Scotland’s position as a strong hub for innovation and to develop supply chain opportunities, as further demonstration and commercial scale sites are brought forward. T ere is a tremendous opportunity here for partners to collaborate to ensure the sector learns as much as possible from this site in the coming years and I very much look forward to seeing what is achieved.” Jean Morrison, chair of Aberdeen
Renewable Energy Group (AREG), comments: “T e EOWDC has always intended to be a pioneering development and the use of the suction bucket jacket foundations is a great example of fresh innovation in the off shore wind sector. T is is another exciting stage for the project with fi rst visibility of the structures off shore as the project moves closer to its operational phase.” As Scotland’s largest off shore test and demonstration facility, the 92.4MW EOWDC will trial next-gen technology and, once constructed, will generate the equivalent of 70% of Aberdeen’s domestic electricity demand and annually displace 132,977 tonnes of CO2
. ●
of industry
In a UK off shore wind premiere, the fi rst of a range of gigantic suction bucket jacket foundations have installed at an off shore wind centre
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