Denmark’s A2SEA has contracted two UK shipyards to fabricate and install sea fastenings on two of the company’s turbine installation vessels which are set to start working offshore UK.
A&P Tyne will fabricate and install the sea fastening on Sea Challenger , which was contracted to work on the 402MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm, with Cammel Laird fabricating and installing the sea fastening on Sea Installer ahead of the vessel’s deployment on the 256MW Burbo Banks Extension project.
Both shipyards have already started fabricating the sea fastenings and will install them on the vessels in August, Jens Nielsen, A2SEA’s Head of Procurement, told Offshore WIND.
Sea Challenger will serve as an accommodation platform from September until the end of 2016, with the start of turbine installation phase scheduled for January 2017. Hull was chosen as the load out port for the 67 6MW Siemens turbines.
Sea Installer will install 32 MHI Vestas 8MW turbines on the Burbo Bank Extension. The project will start during September and the load out port will be Belfast.
“It is the first time, we are mobilising in the UK,” said Jens Frederik Hansen, A2SEA’s CEO.
“Our sea fastening will be produced in the UK, too, and we look forward to strengthening our working relationship with UK suppliers.”
Increasing local content is part of A2SEA’s overall strategy to bring down the cost of levelized energy. With three upcoming projects in the UK, a strong UK network of sup-pliers is important, the company said.
The Dudgeon offshore wind farm is being jointly developed by Statoil, Masdar and Statkraft off North Norfolk, and is expected to be fully commissioned by 2017.
DONG Energy’s Burbo Bank Extension is located in Liverpool Bay, west of the existing 90MW Burbo Bank OWF. The wind farm is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2017.