The topside for TenneT’s Hollandse Kust (Noord) transformer platform is now in position for sea transport to Egmond aan Zee, following a successful load out.
From Equans’ fabrication hall in Antwerp, in Belgium, the 3500-tonne topside was placed on a floating barge and is will be secured and prepared for transport to its final destination at sea in the coming weeks.
During the load out, the topside was carefully steered past its “cousin” for the German offshore wind farm Baltic Eagle on self-propelled trailers (SMTPs).
The special transport then drove from the quay onto a floating barge.
After this successful load out, the structure will be prepared in the coming weeks for the sail away, which will take place in late September/early October.
“After a two-day sea voyage, the topside will then be installed 18.5 kilometres off the coast of Egmond aan Zee.
“There, the undercarriage (jacket) has already been firmly anchored to the seabed since November last year,” said Guus Siteur, offshore platform project manager for TenneT.
“With the help of the installation vessel Orion, the topside of 47 metres long, 35 metres wide and 25 metres high will be placed on the undercarriage and then welded in place.”
Two years after the first steel cut, the topside, built by the Equans/Smulders team, is the first of the three topsides they are delivering. HK Noord will be followed by HK West Alpha and HK West Beta.