Dutch heave compensation specialist Seaqualize executed the world’s first offshore switch lifts of wind turbine elements from a heaving provide vessel.
The firm’s newly developed offshore lifting machine, the Heave Chief 1100, is being deployed by DEME Offshore US to instal the primary generators at Vineyard Wind along with the feeder barge answer developed by DEME Offshore US, with companions Barge Master, Foss Maritime and Seaqualize, and the operators and tools from GE Renewables.
The Seaqualize expertise will be sure that the Halliade X 13 MW generators might be put in year-round.
Seaqualize is answerable for executing the quick carry from the barge to the set up vessel, whereas compensating for heave motions. The firm says: “Never before have such delicate but heavy lifts been done, under safe compensation, and with full active heave control. It now needs to be done hundreds of times more in the upcoming months, to make sure the team can keep installing wind turbines all year round, even in adverse weather conditions.”
Seaqualize develops and operates inline Balanced Heave Compensators, a subsequent technology lifting software particularly designed for heavy carry, in-air energetic load management. The firm’s latest HC1100, is able to compensating and quick lifting the 1,100mt required to steadiness turbine elements for 15MW generators. Normally such lifts would require extraordinarily flat seas, as re-hits with the heaving barge deck, or shock masses to the lifting crane would trigger critical harm.
Over the primary set of lifts made up to now, the HC1100 has proven that lifting can proceed whereas the machine continues to completely compensate heave motions as much as 3.5m, and the primary lifts confirmed it could possibly fast-lift full masses at speeds of over 70cm/s (42 m/min). For the tall tower sections of as much as 70m excessive, two separate methods by Barge Master additional compensate pitch and roll motions.
Managing Director Gjalt Lindeboom says: “Some will say: ’Haven’t we done floating lifts for years already in the oil and gas industry? The answer is ‘yes’, but not at this scale, frequency and with such delicate, standard components. In oil and gas, it is not uncommon to wait several days or even weeks to execute one single safe floating transfer lift of, for example, a heavy platform top side, or vessel module. It only has to be done once and that is the project. Furthermore, the component is usually engineered and fabricated to withstand any undesired transport, lifting or installation loads, simply by adding protective steel.”
Both aren’t potential within the extraordinarily cost-driven and aggressive offshore wind sector, he says. For instance: the Vineyard Wind venture requires greater than 800 lifts, with masses ranging wherever between 10 and 1,000mt, all within the quickest succession potential. Windfarms already deliberate for the upcoming years are typically even nearly twice as massive.
