Equinor and SSE Renewables have selected Offshore Heavy Transport (OHT) as preferred supplier to install foundations at the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and B offshore wind farms off the east coast of England.
OHT will deploy its semi-submersible Alfa Lift vessel to install monopile and transition piece foundations at the two 1.2GW projects, the developers said.
The deal will be announced on Thursday at WindEurope Offshore 2019 in Copenhagen.
The Alfa Lift vessel is under construction at China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) yard in Jiangsu and is due to be delivered in early 2021.
The 216-metre long vessel will feature a 3000-tonne crane and will load out 10 Dogger Bank monopiles and 10 transition pieces for installation at a time thanks to its 48,000-tonne deadweight.
“The monopiles that will be installed at Dogger Bank will be amongst the largest ever used on an offshore wind farm and we needed a vessel that would allow us to deliver our project in the safest and most efficient way,” Dogger Bank project director Steve Wilson said.
“OHT’s Alfa Lift’s capability offers us this solution and we look forward to working with them to deliver Dogger Bank Wind Farms,” he added.
SSE Renewables capital projects director Paul Cooley added: “Dogger Bank Wind Farms is paving the way for future offshore wind developments, not just in the UK but globally, by utilising some of the most innovative and efficient technology on the market, like the Alfa Lift vessel, and we are very pleased to have OHT working with us as we deliver this ground-breaking project.”
Equinor and SSE Renewables will take a final investment decision on the Creyke Beck A and B developments next year. Offshore installation at the sites is due to take place between 2022 and 2024.
The hardware will be installed in waters ranging from 20 to 35 metres deep, with Creyke Beck A due online in 2023 and B hot on its heels in 2024.
The projects will feature up to 200 GE 12MW Haliade-X turbines.
“We are humbled and honoured to be selected as the preferred supplier for this momentous project, bringing the world’s largest and most capable offshore wind installation vessel to the world’s largest wind farm, to support the world’s most powerful turbines,” said OHT chief executive Torgeir Ramstad.
“We very much look forward to working with SSE Renewables and Equinor in a cooperative and transparent way to ensure the safe and timely execution of these key projects,” he said.
Equinor’s Dogger Bank vice president Halfdan Brustad said the contract award to OHT will help the company commercialise its latest offer to the market.
“We need new entrants that can think differently and make the industry even more competitive. We look forward to working with OHT to make Dogger Bank a success,” he said.
Equinor and SSE Renewables have already confirmed GE will supply up to 300 Haliade-X turbines across the Creyke Beck A, B and the 1.2GW Teesside A sites.
Jan De Nul’s new build jack-up Voltaire is the preferred turbine installation contractor for all three projects.