Asian Hercules III, one of the world’s largest and most versatile floating cranes, has arrived in Peterhead Port, in order to conduct 11 innovative bucket foundations for Vattenfall’s European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre.
Set up in Peterhead Port, the 25,000 tonne Asian Hercules III will lift and install the 77 metre-high, 1,800 tonne steel jacket foundations, at the site of Vattenfall’s European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre in Aberdeen Bay. The suction bucket foundations are believed to be a UK first in large scale offshore wind.
The floating crane has a lifting capacity of up to 5,000 tonnes and a hook height of at least 120metres. It will be used to transport the jacket structures from Peterhead Port to the wind farm site and lower them on to the seabed in Aberdeen Bay.
Two barges will also transport the foundations from Newcastle to Peterhead Port for marshalling while the harbour will also include a construction support vessel and barge tugs.
Peterhead Port will support the installation operations for at least four months with the offshore work expected to last six weeks.
Adam Ezzamel, EOWDC project director for Vattenfall, which is developing the more than £300m facility, said: “Low carbon power is about their future. By testing and demonstrating pioneering technology, the EOWDC will support the growth of a low-cost, fossil-free offshore wind industry which is set to be the backbone of the UK power sector.”
Once completed, the EOWDC, also known as Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm, will be able to generate the equivalent of 70% of Aberdeen’s domestic electricity demand and annually displace 132,977 tonnes of CO2.
Jean Morrison, chair of Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) welcomed the milestone by saying: “This is a momentous stage for the project and the North East of Scotland as construction will soon start on this ground-breaking wind project. The delivery of this cutting-edge technology underlines our vision for the EOWDC to be at the forefront of new innovations.”
