Innogy has launched a two-year offshore construction campaign at its 860MW Triton Knoll wind farm off Lincolnshire in the UK.
Crane vessel Seaway Strashnov this week loaded out a first lot of the 90 Sif-Smulders built monopile and transition piece turbine foundations for the project from the Dutch port of Rotterdam.
The first of the project’s 54-metre long, 600-tonne monopiles will hit the water as soon as weather windows allow, the developer said.
Innogy said it had worked closely with the foundation fabricators and designer Atkins to remove as much weight from the foundations as possible.
“We are looking forward to a busy year installing Triton Knoll’s innovative foundations and offshore substation platforms,” said project director Julian Garnsey.
Seaway 7 will add the project’s two offshore substation topsides this spring.
SOV Esvagt Froude is due to arrive in Grimsby to support offshore construction work in the coming weeks.
NKT and Boskalis will meanwhile mobilise to lay 600km of array and export cables at the project as soon as route preparation work at the project finishes.
DEME Offshore will start installing the project’s 90 MHI Vestas V164-9.5 MW turbines early next year from the port of Seaton, where Able UK has started work to add 140 square metres of new quayside.
The new frontage will be used for the storage and pre-assembly of components from later this year.
Innogy said it will finish installing 57km of onshore export cables and building the project’s onshore substation during 2020.
East coast and UK supply chain companies including Specialist Marine Consultancy, Seacat, Precision Marine Survey and Carlbom Shipping will also play key roles supporting the offshore build this year, the developer said.