All the offshore piling work has been completed at the 950MW Moray East offshore wind farm under construction in the Moray Firth, off Scotland.
DEME Offshore jack-up Apollo started the work to install the 309 pin piles in the seabed in May last year, operating out of Cromarty Firth Ports Authority’s onshore handling facilities at Invergordon, the developer said.
The project’s three-legged jacket foundations each require three pin piles, it said.
Moray East project director Marcel Sunier said: “The important first phase of offshore installation works have been completed safely and successfully without any major incidents.
“I would like to thank all those involved including our contractors, our suppliers, our local port facilities at Invergordon and the authorities.
“Although the piles are undersea, underground and unseen, they are the foundations on which the entire project’s success literally rests.
“The challenge of accurately driving 309 piles into the sea-bed, in water depths of circa 50 metres, more than 20km from shore in Scottish weather conditions cannot be understated.
“The dynamics which make the Moray Firth a more challenging location for installation are the same dynamics which enable us to deliver high a volume of electricity at a record-low price.
“The experience and expertise developed working in this challenging environment are vital resources for the UK’s journey to ‘net zero’.
“I look forward to the next stages of the project which will see the jackets and various turbine components begin to be marshalled at the local ports at Nigg and Invergordon prior to their installation as well as the installation of the three offshore substations, the inter array cables and the offshore export cable.”
Moray Offshore Windfarm East is a joint venture of Diamond Green (33.4%), EDPR (33.3%), Engie (23.3%) and CTG (10%).
In September 2017, the wind farm was awarded a 15-year Contract for Difference by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.
Moray East is expected to be operational by 2022 and will feature 100 MHI Vestas V164-9.5MW turbines.