GeoSea has finalized the installation of the foundations for the Westermost Rough (UK) offshore wind farm project. This DONG Energy project consists of 35 wind turbine positions 9 km from the coast near Hull in the north east of England, UK.
As main contractor for the foundations GeoSea has been responsible for the transport and installation of the foundations, consisting of monopiles between 500T and 810T, with a diameter of 6.5m and transition pieces of around 367T.
For this job GeoSea has made use of the most dedicated offshore wind installation vessel INNOVATION owned by HGO, which is 50% owned by GeoSea.
The INNOVATION was loaded in Aalborg (Denmark) with 5 sets of monopiles and transition pieces which it then transported across the North Sea to be installed immediately at the off shore site, a distance of 500 nautical miles.
GeoSea took steps to involve local (UK) content in the project by bringing in and facilitating the involvement of UK east coast companies. GeoSea established a UK project office in Grimsby port, from where the secondary works (small works and final touchups) on the foundations have been executed. For the vessel preparation, mobilization and demobilization works INNOVATION has docked in the TeesPort, where local companies executed all the works.
The INNOVATION has achieved this unprecedented performance thanks to the use of a new and highly sophisticated piling frame and improved jacking procedures, both developed by GeoSea’s in-house engineering department. This innovative approach allows the INNOVATION to work in higher sea states and leads to decreased cycle times. Another important milestone is that this project was executed without a single LTI (Lost Time Injury), reflecting the high attention by GeoSea and DONG Energy to Health & Safety.
By managing the INNOVATION on this project GeoSea has set a new standard in offshore wind with the result that this combination is a ready solution for future offshore wind projects with larger foundations and wind turbines.