Eon plans to recover an excavator next week that was immobilised in April on Lancing Beach while backfilling cable duct trenches for the 400MW Rampion offshore wind farm off the Sussex coast in the UK.
The developer said the sea-based recovery is subject to weather conditions as it will involve the specialist floating sheerleg crane vessel Cormorant (pictured).
The vessel is fitted with two 300-tonne cranes to carry out the work, which could not be done onshore as the digger is embedded in the seabed, Eon said.
The work is expected to take about two days to complete, it added.
Rampion development and stakeholder manager Chris Tomlinson said: “We want to thank people for bearing with us over the last couple of months while we’ve planned the vehicle recovery and we also welcome the interest the local community has continued to show in the project.
“On planning the recovery, for operational and safety purposes, further seabed preparation including surveys and assessments have been required to bring a suitable vessel to the nearshore site, all of which takes time.”
The UK Green Investment Bank and Canadian energy company Enbridge are also investors in the wind farm.
Eon said it has installed 43 of the 116 MHI Vestas 3.45MW turbines at Rampion, which is expected to deliver first power later in the Summer.
Image: Eon
Eon readies Rampion digger lift
Excavator stuck on Lancing Beach since April to be retrieved next week
By EBS