A significant milestone has been achieved in offshore wind energy with the completion of monopile installation at the Moray West wind farm.
- A team of specialised contractors successfully installed 62 enormous monopiles for the 882MW Moray West offshore wind farm.
- Dutch and Belgian companies, Boskalis and DEME, executed this complex operation using a fleet of specially equipped barges and crane vessels.
- The monopiles, crucial for supporting 14.7MW turbines, were manufactured by Spanish firms Navantia Seanergies and Windar Renovables.
- This project, developed by Ocean Winds, marks a pivotal advancement in UK’s renewable energy sector.
In a remarkable feat of engineering, the installation of 62 XXL monopiles at the Moray West offshore wind farm has been successfully concluded. From October 2023 to June 2024, Dutch and Belgian offshore specialists Boskalis and DEME utilised a fleet comprising barges and crane vessels to accomplish this task. Each monopile, weighing up to 2,000 tonnes, highlights the colossal efforts involved.
The need for such large monopiles is driven by the substantial size of the Siemens Gamesa turbines, rated at 14.7MW, and the depth of the water, reaching up to 54 metres. Notably, these monopiles are the largest ever handled in the UK, measuring up to 10 metres in diameter and 85 metres in length. The production of these elements was facilitated by Spanish manufacturers, Navantia Seanergies and Windar Renovables, at Navantia’s Fene shipyard.
Once manufactured, the monopiles were transported to the port of Invergordon last year, where Belgian firm SarensPSG undertook the unloading and storage. The partnership between Sarens and PSG Marine & Logistics was instrumental in managing the logistics for such a heavy-lift operation.
The installation process commenced in October 2023, with Boskalis deploying its vessel, Bokalift 2, for the initial phase, followed by DEME’s crane vessel, Orion, which completed the installation in April. Subsequent to monopile installation, DEME’s jack-up rig, Apollo, was tasked with positioning the transition pieces that connect the monopile foundations to the turbine towers.
Developed by Ocean Winds—a collaborative venture between EDP Renewables and Engie—this offshore wind project signifies a noteworthy progression in the renewable energy landscape, promising substantial contributions to sustainable power generation.
The monumental completion of monopile installation at the Moray West wind farm underscores significant progress in offshore renewable energy.
