Swire Blue Ocean jack-up vessel Pacific Orca has installed the first of 56 Siemens 6MW turbines for Innogy’s 336MW Galloper offshore wind farm off the Suffolk coast.
The turbines are being shipped from the purpose-built Siemens’ assembly base at the Port of Great Yarmouth, where the towers are put together and prepared by a 70-strong workforce.
Up to five turbines are being installed on each trip made by Pacific Orca, Innogy said.
The company added that contractor VBNK has also started the installation of the second and final export cable, while Seaway Heavy Lifting’s Oleg Strashnov installed Galloper’s offshore substation earlier this week.
VBMS vessel Stemat Spirit has currently installed 26 of 56 array cables for the project.
Galloper project director Toby Edmonds said: “To reach three key milestones in the project simultaneously and see Galloper take shape after years of planning is a proud moment for all the team and the project partners.
“Installing the first turbine on an offshore wind farm is always a powerful moment.
“It’s a tribute to our project partner and turbine supplier, Siemens, who have worked hard with the Galloper team to prepare for this major project milestone.
“The remaining turbines will now be installed and the project will be completed early next year.”
Innogy added that 20 of the 54 Senvion 6.2M-126 turbine have installed at the 332MW Nordsee 1 wind farm in the German North Sea.
Image: Innogy
First turbine up at Galloper
Work on second and final export cable for 336MW project also underway
By EBS